Mirror With All The Same Faces
by Night-Mare-Chan
Summary: When Usopp is swept overboard during a strange storm, the crew go to the mysterious island of Bugashaka to look for him. There they will discover that there is more to Usopp than meets the eye.
1. The Storm

The Storm

Usopp clung to the mast until he could feel splinters stabbing into the pads of his fingers. The rain drove across the deck, hard and lashing; like thin needles. The sea bucked and rocked underneath them, carrying the Going Merry high into the air before sending them careening into the next wave. The storm had come out of nowhere. One moment he was watching Zoro curse and struggle to pull a pink octopus from his face, stifling his laugh for fear of getting subsequently killed if he was heard and suddenly Nami was yelling at them to furl the sails. Usopp remembered clambering up the rigging and tying the sails back with the coarse rope as his heart hammered against his ribs. There had been a moment of silence and calm seas, a half sigh of relief from him and suddenly, _bam, _they were locked in the midst of a huge billowing storm.

All that was terrifying, but normal, storm wise—he supposed. The coiling bright purple clouds, not so much. The red lightning? Definitely not. The fact that it had come literally out of a clear blue sky? Bone chilling. But it was the whispers on the wind that really scared the crap out of him. They existed almost below his hearing range, loud enough to hear but too low to understand. He was pretty sure he heard "help" and "beware" in there somewhere. He couldn't really be sure though as he was doing his best to just hang on for his life.

"Wow!" said Luffy, his voice carrying over the roar of the wind. "This storm is awesome!" He laughed. Laughed! Usopp squeezed his eyes open and saw Luffy in silhouette as he clung to the bowspirit with his legs, both hands clapped on his head to hold his hat in place. "I want to see more lightning!"

"Don't wish for stupid things like that!" Usopp screamed, but he didn't think Luffy even heard him. The bowspirit lifted, like an arrow, pointing almost straight up to the sky. He could see the faint etchings of the lighthouse that marked the entrance to the Grand Line, highlighted ominously by a spark of red lightning. Usopp was filled with the iron hard certainty that they'd likely die before even getting there. The wave continued rising, taking the Merry with it, going up and up and up and in flashes of lightning he could see the froth of the wave curve a long way down. Usopp slammed his eyes shut again as they seemed to level out and hugged the mast for all he was worth. They were cresting. Soon there would be the stomach dropping plummet. From somewhere on the quarter deck, Nami screamed.

"This is a big one!" Luffy said, sounding so thrilled that Usopp wanted to kill him. This was dangerous! He was always like that, though. Danger was something to be explored and poked at. The thought didn't comfort Usopp at all.

"Hang on, Nami-san!" Sanji's voice was distant, muted, as if he was being carried away by the wind. There was a stillness, a moment where the seconds rolled by like hours and he could feel a line in the air, cutting straight through his stomach; the place where the present and the future divided and possibility swarmed through the air, thick as flies.

"This isn't scary at all!" Usopp howled and then the ship tumbled, knifing straight down. Usopp's guts came into his throat and he screamed. He was going to die. He was going to die. They were all going to die. He told his mother he was sorry. He told Kaya. He told his crew back home in Syrup.

"Close your mouth," said a voice right next to his ear. It was familiar and unfamiliar at the same time and Usopp opened one eye, seeing the water rise all around them like a big blue bowl, cresting white, and a dark shape standing right beside him seeming immune to the wind and rain; a person, narrow shouldered, long armed. Lightning flickered illuminating the person's features and Usopp's eyes widened. What—

A wall of water smashed into him, stealing his breath, flooding his mouth. It was cold and the current tugged at him like insistent hands. He could feel his fingers starting to give from their hold. He scrabbled to keep hold but the water was too strong and he was torn away. Up, down, tumbling, swirling; he was too dazed to be terrified. Somehow he knew when his head broke through the water and managed to cough and take a deep rasping breath before being sucked under again. He was pulled down and down, into the blue black- He flailed, trying to get upward but already he was desperate for air. He opened his eyes and saw the surface, glittering with the after effects of lightning; and a dark shape heading for him. He reached for it in the gathering dark, seeing the shape of his hand reaching out before he choked and everything went black.

* * *

Ahahahaha. Starting another series? Bad me. Bad! I just can't help it. T.T One Piece is so addicting! I don't own it, though. Sad as it is. T.T

Anyhow, I'm dedicating this to Liashi, FNA Sora. Without whom One Piece would still be a weird little show with a strange reindeer (rather than the obsession it is now). With hate and love and balloons, me.

Enjoy! :)


	2. Ready or Not

Ready or Not

Everything stilled and for a moment Nami thought she was dead. Then she tasted the salt water and blood in her mouth from where she'd bitten her tongue. Cold water dripped down her neck and something warm and wet was around her. Nami opened her eyes to a pale blue sky, dotted with distant clouds and an ocean barely ruffled by a cool breeze. She lifted a hand to brush her damp bangs from her eyes.

What in the world? She glanced at the quarter deck, where she had been when the storm struck and now she was down here with Sanji's arm around her. Oh, now she remembered, she was thrown when they went crashing down. Sanji must have caught her. Nami looked up him, Sanji was still hanging onto the railing with one hand, his knuckles white. His eyes were closed and a cigarette drooped from his lips. How he'd managed to hold onto that all during the chaos was beyond her. Sanji opened his eye and looked down at her, expression as serious as death.

"Thank you, Sanji-kun," she said, sticking out her tongue a little to lighten the expression. Sanji merely blinked at her and she was frightened that he had hit his head or something and had his personality completely changed. Thankfully his face broke into a smile, hearts bubbling in his eyes.

"Of course, Nami-swan! I couldn't let someone as beautiful as you get swept over the side!" He was leaning down toward her rapidly, maybe for a hug, maybe for something else. It was hard to tell with Sanji. Nami slapped a hand to his face and twisted away. She squeezed water from her shirt for all the good that did and surveyed the damage. Aside from Sanji and herself, the deck was empty. Nami's heart lurched and she shot a glance to the bow spirit and let out a soft breath as she saw Luffy there. Or at least his legs wrapped twice over the figurehead. And there across the deck was Zoro's hand, fingers gouging into the wood and then his head as he pulled himself up one handed out of sheer brute strength and bullheadedness. Geez, she shouldn't let these guys worry her so much.

"What the hell was that?" Zoro said, getting another arm on the deck. That was actually a good question. Nami had never experienced anything like it. She'd felt the air pressure drop and a strange thrill go down her neck, like fingers scraping over her spine. Now it was gone. Just gone. She wondered…

"Oi, marimo," Sanji said, distracting Nami from her thoughts. "Where's our lunch?" Nami glanced at the cook and then Zoro who looked just as confused as she felt.

"Eh?" Zoro said.

"The octopus, idiot. I was going to make octopus pilaf for Nami-swan." He practically sang her name as he always did. She would have said she didn't mind but something was wrong. What was it? A feeling that she was missing something.

"Naa, that was fun," Luffy said, sitting up. He looked soaked like the rest of them but otherwise fine. Not that she really expected any different. Luffy grinned. "I really thought we were going to die." And then he laughed.

"Geez how can you be laughing?" she said, bringing her hand up to her face. "I thought we really _Rewere_ going to die." With waves as big as those they were lucky they didn't lose… Wait a minute. She turned and looked around the deck. Where was…

"Where's Usopp?" Luffy asked. He hadn't gotten swept off the ship, had he? Nami tried to think about where she'd seen him last. He'd tied up the sails and then she thought she'd seen him scrambling for the crow's nest but it had been too dark to really tell.

"Maybe the crow's nest?" she said. Hopefully. Though he would have come down by now, wouldn't he? Full of tales of how he'd braved the storm.

"I'll check," Luffy said. Then cupped both hands around his moth and screamed: "Oi, Usopp! Are you up there?!"

"Don't just yell, you idiot," Nami said, smacking him in the head with her fist. "He could be hurt or something! Go up there!" Luffy rubbed his head and grinned at her. She couldn't tell if it was sheepish or not but still, honestly.

"Gum Gum no…" Luffy said, stretching his arms to grab the edge of the crow's nest. "Rocket!" Nami flinched at the water he inadvertently rained down and watched to make sure he didn't overshoot and go careening off the other side of the ship. He landed where he was supposed to, amazingly enough, but it wasn't long before he called back: "He's not up here."

* * *

It didn't take them long to discover Usopp wasn't anywhere on the ship. Nami stared at the sea, the sun scattering on the waves and burning images behind her eyelids when she blinked. Sanji and Zoro had decided to search in the water around the ship but so far two hours had passed without a sign. Still she watched, keeping a close eye on her two crewmates. There was a wicked undertow around here, she'd heard. It could pull you straight to the bottom and if you didn't die from the water pressure splintering your bones, the asphyxiation would kill you in the end. She absently clenched her hands. It was a horrible way to die. As if following some hidden signal, Sanji swum back to the ship and pulled himself up on the deck, dripping water and looking exhausted.

"There's a lot of ocean," he said, taking a cigarette from the coat he'd thrown on deck and lighting it. She was irritated somehow and looked away. This was _pointless. _If they hadn't found Usopp by now they weren't going to. At the same time it didn't seem real, somehow. As if this was all some sort of practical joke and Usopp was just snickering away in the hold somewhere. If he was he was going to wished he'd drowned, Nami decided. The image flashed in her mind. She'd seen drowned people before. She didn't think anyone who lived their life on the sea got away without seeing it. The blue bloated faces, the scratches and gouges made by hungry bottom feeders. Her stomach rolled and she tried to banish the image from her mind.

"He's not here," Zoro said, grunting as he pulled himself on the deck. Nami opened her eyes and watched him. He was staring at Luffy who hadn't moved from the prow, watching everything with an intense gaze and a fierce frown as if he could glare at the water and make it spit Usopp up. The expression unnerved her more than a little. She liked the stupid goofy faced captain a lot better.

"That current is pretty strong," Sanji said. "He's probably far away by now." He sounded bland, as if it didn't much matter. She wasn't sure if it did to him. He blew a trail of smoke into the sky. Zoro grunted again, in agreement or annoyance, she couldn't tell.

"I found this, though," the swordsman said, holding out something to Luffy. Luffy reached for it and when Zoro let go, Nami saw it was Usopp's bandana. Her throat welled. Stupid Usopp. Stupid _stupid _Usopp. Getting thrown overboard like that. Making everyone worry. Luffy looked at the bandanna for a long moment.

"I guess that's it," Luffy said, squeezing the water out of the bandanna. "Let's go." That stung. Nami looked down at the water. Even though she knew it was impossible… If even Luffy gave up… Well, that's the way things went, wasn't it? That was the way life on the sea was but he didn't have to sound so cold…

Nami straightened. That was how things went. That was how life went. If it wasn't fair, well, that was that. She looked around for the light house and saw it faintly, just on the Eastern horizon.

"Well the Grand Line is just East of here, so--"

"We can't go there yet. We're going to find Usopp"

Nami stared at the Luffy. Luffy stared back. He looked serious. She must have misheard. Gotten water in her ear or something.

"What?" she said, listening carefully.

"We're going to find Usopp," Luffy repeated patiently, taking off his hat and looking out on the water.

She'd heard right. That idiot just _had _to make things harder for her. Be patient, she told herself. He's probably not used to loss. He's probably too optimistic for his own good. He's probably just too thickheaded for anyone's good.

"Listen, Luffy, you can't just sail around and expect to find him."

He looked dumbfounded. _Dumbfounded_. How could a man who'd survived this long be so…so…_dumb?_ Maybe it was just the reality sinking in. Maybe it was just numbness.

"Why not?"

Or maybe he was a moron.

"You don't even know where we're going! We could be sailing around for months and not even find…" his corpse. The words went cold in her throat. "…find him…" she finished lamely.

"That would be a long time to look." He grinned. "But you can tell me where he is, right?"

"Of course I can't!" she snapped.

"No?"

"No!"

"That's too bad. Oh well." He set his hat on his lap, tied the bandanna around his head and then plopped the hat back on. "Let's go!"

He couldn't be serious. This couldn't be happening. Zoro said nothing and went to the mast, probably to untie the sails. Well he was bone-headed, too. She'd seen that already, hadn't she? Probably all that blood loss had given him some sort of mental damage. She glanced at Sanji who was probably the only sane one here and saw him stand up in a fluid motion. _Say something,_ she begged him with her eyes. _Help me stop this crazy thing._

"I'd better make something for lunch." He looked at her. "What would you like?"

"Meat!" Luffy called, sounding entirely too cheerful.

"I wasn't asking you!" Sanji snapped.

"Anything so long as it isn't that damned octopus," Zoro said.

"Shut up, you shit-faced swordsman. If I ever recatch that damned octopus you'll eat it and like it."

"I'd like to see you make me, ero-cook."

Nami gave up. She stalked past Sanji and went down into her room, slamming the door behind her and locking it savagely. She wanted to flop down on her couch but she was still soaking and dripping and cold now that she thought about it. With a heavy sigh she gathered some clean clothes and went to the head, making doubly sure it was locked, before turning on the shower. It wasn't until the hot water was coursing over her back that she started to relax, the anxiety easing from her shoulders. Gloom replaced it. This was going to be torture. How long would Luffy last without finding him? How long could his stupid faith stretch? Even if Usopp was alive right now the chances of finding him alive later on were…were next to nothing. That stupid idiot had never even set foot on the Grand Line. Damnit, Usopp… She turned her face up to the hot water and let it slide down her cheeks.

By the time Nami had gotten out of the shower, she'd figured out what to do. She just wouldn't be stuck like this, that's all. Nami went back to her room, stuffing her dirty clothes away and sitting on the couch, then, restless moving to the desk, laced her fingers together and rested her chin on them. She wouldn't be stuck. She would not. She would go along with them until the next ship going toward the Grand Line came her way and get on it and hopefully it wouldn't be a bunch of bloodthirsty pirates and…and just meet up with them later. She wasn't going to spend day after day miserable. She'd already done plenty of that. Too much of that.

This decided, Nami picked up one of her maps at random and rolled it out on the desk. The Grand Line stared back at her, calling her a traitor. It was just a reflection of her own inner turmoil, she knew, though that didn't make her feel much better. She'd leave the map with them, maybe. She'd make a copy, just for them. So they could find their way, too. Except…the more she thought of leaving, the lonelier she felt. Was it really worth it? There was a quiet knock on the door. Nami considered telling whoever it was go to away but the only two to knock were Sanji and...well anyway Sanji probably had something made for her. She could use something. Preferably with a lot of brandy.

"Come in," Nami said. The door opened and it was Sanji bringing offerings, in this case a mug that was lightly steaming. The room filled with the faint scent of cinnamon, just enough to catch the senses but not enough to be overpowering.

"I thought you could use a relaxing drink, Nami-san," he said, gallantly setting the mug on the table. He looked dry and presentable, as if nothing had happened at all, but his hair was damp and his expression was off, still on the verge of swooning but it was like a light turned down a bit too low.

"Thank you, Sanji-kun." And because she knew it would make his day, she took a sip. It was really good, of course. Not too hot, not too cold and just the faintest hint of brandy in there. No where else would she ever find a drink this good. She expected him to say something about how beautiful she looked or how gracefully she drank but he said nothing, watching her for a moment before gazing out the porthole. She didn't want to have this kind of moment with him. She didn't want to feel… feel like this. It made everything so much worse.

"It's impossible," she said. "The sea is too big. Sanji-kun, how can you go along with this?"

"They say the All Blue is impossible, too," Sanji said with a smile so sincere that she almost wanted to flirt with him just to get him back to his normal lovestruck self. "Anyway, enjoy, Nami-san." He gave her an elegant half-bow. "Lunch will be ready in about thirty minutes or so."

It was impossible. They were impossible. Nami nodded and took another sip of the impossibly good tea and then saw something. Something that made her feel slightly lightheaded. An island on the map, about twenty miles or so from the calm belt, so small it was just a smudge. Someone had written 'Bugashaka' in spidery cursive underneath it.

"Sanji," she said, looking up. The doorway was empty. She tensed ready to go after him but he floated by the door before she could even move. She covered her smile as she knew that would only make his wiggly swooning that much worse.

"Yes, Nami-swaan? Another tea? Some pastries? My heart in your beautiful hands?"

"That current… do you remember which direction it was going?"

Sanji paused, suddenly serious and looked up, as if thinking about it.

"South, I think. Maybe South-East."

South-East… according to this map there was a particularly strong current going in that direction that came close to Bugashaka. _If _Usopp had been caught in that current and _if _he survived it long enough to swim to shore it was possible he could get to Bugashaka in a little under a day. So there was a chance, a faint hopeless chance… Nami bit her lower lip and charged back up to the deck, Sanji trailing behind her like a lovesick balloon.

"Luffy," she said. "I think I know where Usopp might end up…but I'm not sure."

"Oh yeah?" He said, twisting a grin back at her before pumping his fist in the air. "Let's go there, then!"

"Ok." She was starting to feel hope again, in spite of herself, opening up in her chest. It was dangerous. "We have to go South by South-East."

"South by South-East it is, beautiful," Sanji swooned, pressing the mug of tea into her hands.

"Is that even a real direction?" Zoro asked. Nami ignored him.

She could feel the change in the movement as the ship glided into the current. It picked up speed for one thing and she thought she could almost feel the powerful surge of water thrumming under her feet. She sipped the tea. It melted against her tongue like sweet velvet.

"Faster," Luffy said, or something that sounded like it. Nami was about to tell him that there wasn't much they could do when a wind blew up behind them, snapping the sails full. She felt exhilarated. Dangerous. Reckless.

_Ok, I'm counting on you to be alive, Usopp._ She thought, fiercely. _Don't let me down. _

_

* * *

_

One Piece is property of Oda Eiichiro who is more brilliant than should be allowed.

Special thanks to Liashi as always since it's her fault.

Also thanks to West_Side for the support and Effie for being awesome!

And also to everyone who reviewed, favorited or just read. :)


	3. Instinct

Instinct

He didn't want to wake up. His throat felt scratched and raw and there was some weird aftertaste as if something had died in the back of his mouth. The sleep he'd been having had been the good kind, too, wrapped in velvety darkness with occasional dreams. Unfortunately the feeling of wrongness kept bullying him closer and closer to awareness no matter how much Usopp would want it different. For one thing it felt like he was sleeping on the floor. The steady comforting sway of the hammock was gone.

Had they made port and he'd forgotten about it? If that was true, he must be at an inn but the air smelled too dank here and why would he be sleeping at an inn with the Going Merry so close? That couldn't be right. He hadn't slept off ship since Cocoyashi and he was pretty sure they'd left there.

That wasn't right. Usopp rubbed his forehead. The last thing he remembered was being on deck, sorting through some smoke bombs he'd gotten at Yamashima and then –oh right, that storm—and then _he'd been thrown off the ship!_ Usopp sat up, a strangled cry in his throat, and patted himself down to make sure he was all there and still alive. He was and seemed to be.

"I made it," he said, collapsing back on the, for lack of a better word, bed. He winced as his head throbbed all the more with the effort, tucked his arms behind him as a sort of a pillow and stared up at the cave wall. It was a cave. Kind of wet. He could hear water trickling somewhere. At least there were no bats. Soft sunlight was filtering in from an opening he couldn't see. So how did he get up here anyway? Maybe he'd landed semi-conscious on the shore of this island and dragged himself up by sheer rugged instinct! One hand at a time! Fighting off the monsters that inhabited this place with deadly accurate skill! Much to the relief of the village nearby that was just waiting for someone to come along and save them!

"Hooray for Captain Usopp! Hero of the day!" Usopp said, lifting his arms. His voice echoed his words back at him, seeming even more exuberant, and then said:

"So you're awake now?"

"Gah!" Usopp bolted upright. "Who's there?" he said, searching around the gloom. A shadowy figure on the far wall detached itself and as it came closer, Usopp saw it was wearing a cloak that shrouded its face. Men with cloaks were never good news.

"Don't be afraid!" said the cloaked guy, still speaking in Usopp's voice. Usopp rubbed the back of his head absently. Maybe he'd hit it harder than he thought. The cloaked guy held up his hands. They were long fingered and brownish, some fingers wrapped in bandages. "I'm a friend. My name is…um…Yellow."

Um…Yellow, huh? This was really suspicious. Usopp was normally a guy who ran on instincts, and much of the time his instincts relied on, well, running, but now they were just as confused as he was. This was definitely a bizarre situation but it didn't seem like a dangerous situation. _Ah_, said his well-honed survival skills. _It doesn't seem like a dangerous situation __**yet.**_Well no use running out now if he didn't know what he was running into. Anyway, the brave Captain Usopp never ran!

"You're really lucky, you know, you barely survived. But then again, I know you're naturally tough!" Yellow put his hands on his hips, his cloak parting to reveal big yellow shoes. "You must be the toughest warrior on the ocean!" It was a still a little strange to hear his own voice echoing back to him like this… but at least it was accurate!

"I am! I've fought thousands of monsters single handedly!"

"They didn't stand a chance against the great Usopp!"

"Of course not!"

They both laughed. This wasn't so bad. He was starting to like this Yellow kid! Usopp crossed his legs and rested his hands on them, preparing to tell a story he'd been formulating in his mind for a few days now called The Great Captain Usopp (and friends) Versus the Seven—Seven hundred—Seven hundred _thousand _Marines!

"Actually just last week me and my eight thousand followers destroyed a Marine Base, I did most of the work of course but my followers were great support!"

"Marine Base?" said Yellow in a hard voice. "Are you…you're not a pirate are you?"

"Pi…pi…pirate? O…of course not!" Usopp said, laughing and waving his hands. "It wasn't a Marine Base at all! It was a…a corrupt Marine Base! Overcome with bad guys!"

"Pirates?"

"Yeah, yeah, seven thousand pirates and I destroyed them all!" He winced inwardly at that. Well he'd make it up later. Luffy would understand. Even though Luffy was a pirate, and so was Usopp-so the idea of it was kind of a betrayal. But not…not really! After all they'd fought pirates before! Evil pirates. So if he just said that, everything would be okay, right? There were the sound of footsteps in the cave and Usopp jerked himself backwards on instinct, clinging to the wall. Another cloaked figure came barreling into the room, this one with blue shoes and long skinny arms where his cloak flapped open.

"Blue-kun!" Yellow said, standing.

"Yellow-kun!" said Blue, sounding really familiar as well. "This is bad! Hana-chan has run away again!"

"Whaaaaat?" Yellow fairly screamed. "Again?"

"Ca…captain is not going to be happy."

"We be…better find him." Yellow bolted to his feet. "Stay here Usopp-kun! You'll be okay! Shadow-san wants to see you!"

"Sh…Shadow-san?" Usopp said. "Wa…wa…wait a second!"

But the two had already bolted from the cave. He could hear their panicked yells joined by another outside. Sh…Shadow-san huh? Well Yellow seemed nice enough so how…how…bad could Sh…Sh…Shadow-san be? _Bad enough for Hana-chan to run_, said his instinct in alarming tones. A small metallic sound rang through the cave. Usopp was on his feet before he knew it and running, out of the cave into the sunlight. He tore right off a ledge, only realizing the mistake he'd made once he saw the ground open a long long long way below him.

"Usopp-kun!" someone screamed. Usopp screamed back and fell, the ground rushing up to meet him. Usopp was on his feet before he knew it and running, out of the cave into the sunlight. He tore right off a ledge, only realizing the mistake he'd made once he saw the ground open a long long long way below him.

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own any of them

Thanks to Liashi FNA Sora

Also sorry for the absence. I am going to school full time and in the midst of revising a novel so it gets kind of hectic.

Thanks to everyone who's read!


	4. Bugashaka

Bugashaka

As far as islands went, Bugashaka seemed pretty unimpressive. A single flat topped mountain rose out of the greenery of forest, like a shitty flan in the middle of a salad. The beach that struggled and grasped its way from the tree line was glaringly white, bone white—Sanji thought. He clamped the unlit cigarette between his teeth as he tied the sail up. At least it was a lush island. Usopp could probably find food and water provided he was still conscious. Or alive. Shitty sniper. Shitty storm. Not that he was doubting Nami-san's incalculable skill and inherent charm but if the current had bought Usopp here, there was no sign of him, or any other detritus usually associated with a storm. The beach was picked clean. Sanji glanced at Luffy who hadn't moved from the bowsprit, (except during mealtimes) as if he could make Usopp appear just by staring hard enough. Sanji wanted to believe that he could. It seemed impossible. He clenched his jaw, finishing the knot with a hard tug. It was a traitorous thought. Luffy was plenty strong but you couldn't make a man appear where he wasn't. Right?

Once the sails were trimmed, Sanji hopped down to the deck and took a moment to light his cigarette, cupping his hand around the flame due to the slight wind. Once it was lit he took a long draw, feeling the soothing presence of the nicotine charging through his veins and absently watched Zoro drop the anchor over the side as if it weighed nothing more than a feather pillow. Too much damn muscle. No wonder he was such a meat head.

The cabin door opened and Sanji turned his head toward the movement and his heart lifted up like a birdsong in his chest. Ah, there she was! The beautiful, leggy Nami-swan, absolutely gorgeous in any light! All soft curves and gentle lines and fists as hard as sheet rock. But the look on her face prevented him from rejoicing too much. Her jaw was set and her eyes hard and suddenly Sanji remembered that he had promised Usopp would be here. Right. He believed, for Nami-swan's sake. If there was only some way to convince her. She moved passed him, seemingly without seeing him and went to grip the railing. Sanji maneuvered himself to stand behind her at just the right angle so she could see him out of the corner of her eye and tried to think of something to say. Something that would lift her spirits and make her say 'o Sanji-kun! Thank you so much for cheering me up!' she would say, hands clasped under her chin, eyes upturned in adoration. His arms quivered with the thought and he was almost overcome but kept himself still.

"There's nothing here," she said in a voice that killed all urges to dance. Luffy stood, bracing his legs wide and and put his hands up to his face.

"Oi, Usopp!" he called, in a voice loud enough to send a small flock of birds from the trees. The sound echoed off the shitty mountain and faded until nothing but the rushing surf was left. Luffy inhaled again.

"If he's unconscious he probably won't be able to respond," Zoro said, resting his hand on his shitty swords. Luffy deflated and looked at him.

"You think so?"

"Of course I think so!" Zoro said. Nami's beautiful hands tightened over the railing and her jaw worked.  
"There aren't even any tracks in the sand," she said. The tide could have washed them away. But then Nami-san knew about the tides. She would have taken that into account.

"Maybe he landed somewhere else," Luffy said.

"No the current would have taken him here. But there's nothing here. Are we really going to waste time looking?"

"Nami-san…" Sanji said, but had nothing to add. Shit. He had to say something. Suddenly Zoro jumped over the side, using the railing as a hurdle. What was that idiot swordsman doing? Sanji heard the splash as he hit the water. Luffy peered over at him, shielding the sun from his eyes with his hand.

"Oh what's that? An octopus?"

"No!" Zoro said, distantly. "Catch, Nami!" After a second something orange sailed up over the side of the ship and Nami-san caught it deftly. A single mikan nestled in her small capable hands, dripping with water. Nami-san stared at it.

"It was caught against a rock," Zoro called. "I think it's been here for a while." Nami-san's face softened in an instant and she suddenly scrubbed her arm across her eyes before a radiant smile came to her face. Sanji clenched his hand into a fist. That shitty swordsman! Doing something so cool. It was just luck!

"It's a sea mikan!" Luffy said, swiping it from her hands with a rubber grip and opening his mouth.

"Don't eat it with the skin still on, idiot!" Sanji said, kicking it from the captain's hand and catching it before it could land back in the water. Shitty captain didn't even know how to properly enjoy a mikan. He could make a good tea with the peels and as for the fruit itself. Ah, but no, it was Nami-san's treasure and the perfect way to make her smile even wider.

"For you, mademoiselle," he said, presenting her the fruit with a flourished bow.

"Aw but Sanji I'm hungry," Luffy said reaching for it again and completely ruining the moment.

"You just ate!" Sanji snapped, trying to avoid his questing hand while maintaining his coolness. If Luffy wasn't such a shitty hammer Sanji would be highly tempted to kick him off the prow. Nami-san laughed, a sound like chimes dancing over the water.

"Thank you, Sanji-kun," she said, delicately plucking the mikan from him.

"I'll split it with you," Luffy whined, reaching out for it.

"Shut up and get going!" Nami-san snapped. Even her anger was beautiful! Ah, Nami-swan!

"Let's go, Luffy," Zoro called distantly.

"Okay!" Luffy said and hopped onto the deck for some strange reason, moving past them toward the kitchen but stopping before he actually went into it.

"Shall I escort you through the wilderness, Nami-swan?" Sanji asked once he was sure his foodstuffs were safe. He could help imagining saving her from vicious beasts, kicking aside plants and trees to clear her way. Perhaps some particularly vicious beast would scare her and she would shriek and—

"No thank you, Sanji-kun," she said, smiling and ducking under Luffy's arm which had just stretched out behind her.

"Eh? You're not coming?" Luffy said.

"I'll wait here in case he comes looking," Nami-san said. Leave it to her to come up with something so sweetly sensible. Unlike the other meat heads on this crew that he had to put up with.

"Alright," Luffy said. "Gum gum no…"

A feeling of danger tweaked along Sanji's spine and he suddenly realized that he was standing right between Luffy's stretched arms that were gripping the railing like Luffy was some kind of…

"Shit. Wait a second!" Sanji said just as Luffy cried:

"SLINGSHOT!"

Sanji tried to jump out of the way. Luffy _slammed _into him and suddenly he was airborne, seeing nothing but clouds and sky. That…shit head captain. Sanji took a draw from the cigarette then pulled it out, letting the smoke stream in the air. As long as he was going to crash anyway he was going to crash with style. He managed to get himself turned to see what was underneath him and saw nothing but the tops of trees. Soon the ground smoothed downhill and suddenly dropped into a crater that looked to be about fifty feet down. Shit. This was going to hurt. He was losing altitude. Sanji finished his cigarette and flicked it to the side and shoved his hands into his pockets. A huge tree was coming up and he was heading straight for it.

Sanji turned in the air and slammed feet first into it, meaning to bounce off and flip into a more controlled fall. The tree top snapped off. His eyes widened and he and tree top flipped over and headed straight down. Crap! He pulled his hands out of his pockets and tried to turn so he wouldn't fall on his damn head and then hit a branch, and another and all the way down. He landed hard on his back on a pile of leaves. They flew up and then fluttered around him, while the blue sky spiraled above him through the gaps in the trees. Sanji pulled a cigarette out of his pocket, lit it and took a long drag, letting the smoke out through his nose. He was going to _kill _someone.

There was a rustle in the bushes as if he'd started some kind of animal. Sanji sat up, wondering if it was anything cookable, or maybe—he shuddered, some kind of creepy bug. Instead he saw the shape of a man, slim and hiding in the shadows. It would take more shadows then that to hide who it was. Usopp. The goggles that covered his eyes glinted in the sunlight. Sanji fought back the urge to kick him in the head. What the hell was he doing hiding here? Didn't he hear Luffy's bellow? Well at least he was okay. Nami-san would be happy and he found he enjoyed someone else on board who could actually tell fine dining from shit you wouldn't feed stray cats.

"Oi," Sanji said standing and brushing leaves from his jacket before shoving his hands into his pocket and letting another stream of smoke out through his nose and teeth and not because he was grinning about Usopp being alive, of all people.

"You're not supposed to fall off the ship," Sanji said. Usopp blinked and smiled in a weird way, then turned and ran, screaming. Sanji cursed and whirled around, expecting some threat, but saw nothing but shadows and sunlight and faintly drifting leaves.

"What are you running from theres nothing—" Sanji started, turning and nearly falling over as he saw how far Usopp had gotten. "Where the hell are you going?" he snapped, chasing after the fleeing shadow. What the hell? Bushes tangled in his legs and tree branches smacked him the face. He couldn't even see Usopp anymore but heard him crashing through the brush like a mad bull.

"If this is some trick I'm going to kick your ass, you shitty sniper!" Sanji called. The crashing stopped as if Usopp had heard him. The trees here were too thick to see much but there seemed to be some sort of clearing in the distance. Sanji cursed and slowed to a walk, idly brushing a branch out of his way. If Usopp was that energetic he probably wasn't hurt at all. He better be at least a little hurt or Sanji would kick his ass anyway. He could have been spending this time preparing a delicious lunch for Nami-san but instead he was scratched and pissed and chasing through the jungle after some long-nosed wire haired—

Sanji stepped into the clearing and stopped, eyes widening. They stared at him. Two of them. Weapons at the ready.

"What the-?"

There was a wild scream from behind him, something crashed into the back of his head and everything went black.

* * *

Disclaimer: Don't own 'em obviously

Thanks to FNASora and my Shishou (even though I'm sure she'll let it go to her head. (not that everything doesn't go to her head, anyway))


	5. The Hunt is On

The Hunt is On

Zoro watched the love-cook zoom through the air like a particularly ugly bird, while the captain, in his usual fashion, zipped straight ahead, ripping through the trees until he was out of sight and yelling the whole way. Hell of a way to start any kind of search, especially considering Usopp probably didn't have the strength to drag himself too far from the beach after fighting the ocean that long. Unless there was something chasing him.

"Geeze," Nami said from above. "He's so reckless. We didn't even get a chance to set a meeting time."

She could have said something before, Zoro thought. She'd had plenty of time while that idiot cook wiggled at her like a limp noodle. He hadn't actually seen it of course, but it was getting so he could picture it without having to and that was just damn disturbing.

"It wouldn't have made a difference," Zoro said. Luffy would come back on his own time. Anyway, if the forest was as thick as it looked from here, it would be hard to tell exactly what time it was. Well, whatever.

Might as well start looking. The sooner they got Usopp the sooner they could get back to going toward the Grand Line. Zoro yawned and cracked his neck and started to move toward dry land when Nami said:

"Oh, wait a second, Zoro, stay right there."

"Okay," Zoro said, moving toward the shallower water. Something round and wet smacked him in the back of the head.

"I said stay right there, you idiot!" Nami snapped. "I can't throw that far!"

"Oi!" he said. _I'm still in the water_, he wanted to add, but she was already running off, her heels clacking against the deck. What the hell did she want to throw at him? Zoro rubbed the back of his head to see what the wet was and found that it was just water. She'd probably thrown the mikan back at if he wasn't wet enough already. The tide was starting to push into his boots. Che. It better be worth it. Something brushed against him, just above his boot and he looked down, expecting to see the mikan but instead saw a small purple octopus which immediately latched onto his leg. Reaching down he yanked it off and the thing turned a faint red. He straightened to throw it back in the

water when a glint of light caught his eye. Zoro looked up and squinted. It seemed to have come from the mountain. Had Usopp gotten that far or…was someone else here?

"Zoro!" Nami said. Zoro looked up at her and she threw a roll of bandages at him. He caught it easily. She smiled at him and straightened, looking toward the island and tucking her hair behind her ear, a sign of strain around her eyes. She was still worried. Well—she was the sensible one, he guessed.

"We'll find him," Zoro said, tucking the bandages into his haramaki and sloshing out of the water.

"Good luck," she said. He waved at her over his shoulder.

There was no sign of Usopp on the wet sand, or on the dry, but there were a few footprints scattered around near where the sand stopped and dirt began, too narrow and light to be the sniper's. He followed the footprints and found a small path, carefully shielded by drooping branches and debris though there were stones to mark the way. There were people here. People who didn't want to be found. Had they taken Usopp?

He spotted a silvery hint of something out of the corner of his eye and Zoro looked—straight at the little red octopus that was clinging to his shoulder. Gritting his teeth he ripped it off and threw it out onto the sand, watching it roll and bounce down the small slope. Damn thing. A shudder crawled down his spine and he turned back to the forest, but whatever he had been looking at was gone. Well, as long as he followed the path it should lead him to whoever was behind this.

At least this was more evidence that Usopp could be alive, Zoro thought, trudging ahead and trying to ignore the squishing sound his boots made. Not that he needed more evidence then Luffy's headstrong determination. He was probably injured, or at the very least exhausted. These people might have helped him but even if they had, Zoro wasn't inclined to trust them. These people might have helped him, but even if they had, Zoro wasn't inclined to trust them. Either they were hiding because they were doing something illegal or they were hiding from something else that was worse.

Well it didn't matter. He would find out when he found out. Either they would find Usopp and meet some new people who would hopefully be willing to share their liquor in celebration or they would find Usopp and have to fight their way out. With any luck, it would be a fight worth having. Zoro moved a branch out of the way, batting away a swarm of midges that flew up, and saw sunlight poking through a thick copse of trees just ahead. A clearing of some sort. He moved out from behind a tree and blinked in the sudden light as he saw the beach, something red moving across the sand, the Going Merry— What the hell? Had Nami moved the ship? Zoro looked around and saw his own footprints and the path he'd just gotten onto a few feet away. Why the hell had they made a path that lead right back to the beach?

"Stop fooling around!" Nami called, her voice distant though he could feel the anger from here.

"I'm not fooling around!" he yelled back. It was the stupid path's fault! Fine. Forget the path. He'd just head toward that mountain thing. It was so damn big it would be hard _not _to find. Zoro turned on his heel and started back into the forest. He walked. And walked. The ground was sloping down to his left, rising to his right. Mosquitoes stung at him, annoying pin pricks hardly worth considering. At some points stuff like spider's webs tickled along his arms and neck but they were so fine he couldn't see them. Sweat beaded his forehead and he wiped it away. Insects droned. Damnit, where was that mountain? He should be close by now! Wait. The mountain was south, right? So all he had to do was go down.

Zoro made his way down the slope, half walking, half skidding where the grass was slick until finally the ground leveled off some. He pushed through a thick cluster of branches and stopped. There was Usopp, standing in the middle of a ring of trees, hands crossed at the wrist, head down. If he heard Zoro arrive he didn't so much as twitch. His clothes were different too, a black shirt and black pants rather than his usual overalls. There was something wrong here but Zoro couldn't put his finger on it.

"Oi, Usopp," he said, and cursed as a particularly vicious mosquito stung the back of his neck. Usopp's head snapped up, but his expression was flat, no recognition in his eyes. What…what the hell? Had those bastards done something to him? The heat in the air stung Zoro's eyes, making him blink. Then blink again, as Usopp spread his arms and started to levitate. What…what was going on? The bushes rattled behind him and Zoro started to turn and reach for W_ado_ but Usopp's hand snapped out and suddenly thin cords snapped around him. Zoro could feel them against his arms, pinning them against his sides, cutting into his neck and now could see lines of thread criss-crossed under Usopp's feet.

"Well well, Roronoa Zoro," a woman with a low voice said from behind him. "So your hair is short this time. It looks good on you."

"Who the hell are you?" he said. His hand was on W_ado_, if he could just pull it out… But the heat was sinking into him, pulling down on him. He couldn't seem to focus.

"You wouldn't know me." She hesitated. "Not exactly, anyway. But I know you." Something poked the back of his neck and stung; black spots swam on the edges of his vision. His fingers were on the hilt of the katana, just a little more…

"And I know that you're usually a pirate hunter. But now you're a pirate? You're too strong to have been kidnapped so that means you're with them by choice." Her voice grew hard. "I should just have Lost-kun slice you apart."

There. He could just see the gleam of the metal. And now— A hand wrapped around _Wado's_ hilt from behind. He could feel her warmth behind him. Shit!

"Nice try, Roronoa. We know your tricks. We've killed you before and we can kill you again."

Killed him before? What the hell was she even talking about? Suddenly something ripped through the bushes, too far away to see but making a strange squeaking sound as it went.

"Hana?" the woman murmured and Usopp looked toward the noise. Zoro felt the threads around him loosen just enough. He pulled out Y_ubashiri_, twisting away from her as he cut the threads around him. They made plinking sounds as they snapped. Usopp…or whoever he was, dropped to the ground. Zoro kept turning, intent on getting at the woman.

"Oh no you don't!" the woman said. "Needle Hurricane!" Stings erupted all over his side and chest before he could even finish turning. He managed to knock some away but even more stung his throat. He stumbled without meaning to. He couldn't stand up. His arms felt like lead. He fell to his knees and managed to keep himself from falling further by sheer dent of will. _Kitetsu_ called for blood but he didn't even think he could draw it. Instead he kept his eyes on the silhouetted figure coming closer, carrying a large mallet on her shoulder. She stopped just out of range. If he could just focus he could…he could…

"Good night, Roronoa," she said and blew. A dart sailed toward him. He managed to cut it in half before her mallet slammed into the side of his head and the world tipped away.

* * *

Many many thanks to my beta FNA Sora. If you haven't read her fic "Psychology of the Shattered Mind", you should do so now. It is full of epic and win.

Also thanks to my Shishou and all of you who have read. :)


	6. The Face in the Mirror

The Face in the Mirror

_The Going Merry was tossing and bucking underneath him. The rain came down at a harsh angle but he could only feel the faintest impressions against his skin. Usopp turned his head and saw Luffy standing—standing on the figurehead, hands on his hips as the wave swept down below, further and further so it seemed to want to crash in the bottom of the ocean itself. _

"_Get down from there, stupid!" Usopp screamed, clinging to the mast for all that he was worth. _

"_Oi, Nami!" Luffy called. "Are there rocks ahead?" _

"_If there are we'll all be dead!" she said, cheerfully, waving in a carefree way from the crow's nest. They were cresting, starting to tip downward. Usopp closed his eyes. He was a brave warrior of the sea! _

_He wasn't afraid of a little wave. It was the stomach churning drop that scared the hell out of him. _

_He wouldn't scream._

_He _wouldn't_ scream._

_They dropped. _

_He screamed. _

"_You should close your mouth," said a voice right next to his ear. Usopp opened his eyes and saw…himself. Sort of. _

Usopp opened his eyes, jerking awake. He hurt everywhere, which wasn't unusual after something traumatic had happened. He was still rocking back and forth and seemed to be moving in a vaguely upward direction. There was a rattling underneath him and Usopp realized he was on a cart of some kind. Judging by the footsteps and out of breath panting he was being pulled by at least two people.

They were probably taking him back. He should spring valiantly from the cart and take them all on, or even tear down hill as fast as he could. And he would if even the act of blinking didn't hurt. To get some sense of where he was, Usopp gently twisted his head to the right, seeing a granite cliff face, dotted here and there with scraggly trees. To the left was a sheer drop into a misty valley. Usopp closed his eyes and pretended he hadn't seen that.

"Geez, what did that idiot run for?" said his echo. Yellow? Just who was he calling an idiot? It had looked like a perfectly normal path! He didn't know he'd be dropping twenty feet.

"Because you mentioned Shadow-san, stupid," said the other, who had a Scratchy voice.

Of course he was scared! With a name like Shadow-

"He wasn't scared at all!" said Yellow. (or Blue-kun?)

That was right! He hadn't been scared one bit! It took more than a creepy name to frighten the great Captain Usopp. He had just been making a strategic retre-

"He was just making a strategic retreat!" Yellow said. Usopp felt his hair curl (more) as a cold chill went through him. That was just freaky. Or a dream. Or a something. He wasn't sure. The important thing was that he had to get out of here somehow.

Usopp tried to sit up and felt himself slip on the cart a little. Between his feet he saw a steep rocky path with sharp turns. That…would be a bad idea. Anyway, where would he go? He could hide in the forest but he didn't know it. Anything horrible could be lurking between the trees and he didn't even have a slingshot on him.

"Shadow-san said he saw a pirate ship in the harbor," said Scratchy voice and Usopp's heart leapt. The Going Merry? Had they actually found him out here? Had they…had they come to rescue him? He swallowed past the sudden lump in his throat. They'd looked for him. Of course they would. He was the most valuable member of the entire crew after all. They wouldn't just leave him behind.

"Pirate ship?" Cried Yellow

"Yeah it was big and mean with thirty-nine canons and real Fishmen guarding it. Fifty of them!"

"Fi…fi…fifty?" said Yellow (or Blue)...echoing Usopp's sentiments exactly. Fifty Fishmen! If those guys were anything like Arlong and his crew then they were all dead. Deader than dead! Not even Luffy could beat that many Fishmen!

"Not even the Captain could beat that many Fishmen!" said Yellow (Blue). _Stay out of my thoughts!_ Usopp snapped in his head because he wasn't quite ready for them to know he was awake yet. When it doubt, play dead.

"The Captain can do anything!" said Scratchy. He was right in a way. Luffy probably could do everything out of sheer dumb luck. But fi…fifty Fishmen! This was impossible. More than impossible.

Silence fell.

He thought he could hear Yellow muttering to himself, telling himself a story of the Great SubCommander Usopp and how he defeated fifty Fishmen armed with just a rubber band and a pile of cherry bombs. Oi, oi. Why had Usopp been demoted to subcommander? No, that wasn't important. Usopp closed his eyes tighter. He felt trapped. What was he going to do? He couldn't leave now. Not with all those Fishmen roaming the forest and…and the Going Merry not here after all. But they were on their way! He was _sure _of it!

Maybe he could ask that Shadow-san guy for help. After all he didn't actually know what kind of guy he was. Right? With a name like Shadow-san he should be powerful, shouldn't he? Well—if he was going to meet him. Usopp opened his eyes. He couldn't meet him like this, all lying down and…and bandaged up. Who had bandaged him? Usopp braced himself and sat up. Two men were pulling him both wearing cloaks that covered their heads.

"Stop," Usopp said, in his most manliest, toughest, not-squeaky-at-the-beginning-at-all, voice. "I can walk." _I hope._ The cart stopped and the two turned around to look at him. There was something awfully familiar in the faces, half revealed by sunlight. Usopp felt a shiver crawl in icy fingers down his back and decided to ignore it. Instead he stood, put his foot down, and was immediately back on the cart. Aah! It hurt! It hurt so much. He must have sprained his ankle in the fall.

"Guess you can't walk," said Yellow who seemed to be smirking under his cowl.

"But we're glad you're awake," said Scratchy, sounding sincere. Usopp kind of liked him, especially since he sounded nothing like him. That was a plus.

"Let's go," said Yellow. "Shadow-san is waiting." He seemed to smile. "You'll like him. I promise."

Usopp nodded. The two turned and began pulling again. He was too brave to run away from a simple name like that! And anyway there were Fishmen and his ankle was killing him and for right now these freaky people were the closest thing to allies he had. Up ahead was a cave—looking suspiciously like the same cave he'd left. Usopp gulped as they pulled him inside. There was someone waiting, swathed in a dark cloak. Shadow-san. Usopp just knew it. He was shivering from a desire to act but not being able to after being grievously injured, not fear, not fear at all. Yellow and Scratchy, bowed slightly to the man.

"Shadow-san," Yellow said.

"Sh…Sh…Shadow-san," Usopp mimicked. A deep chuckle came from the folds of the cowl.

"There is no need to be afraid," he said in a voice that was very familiar.

"I'm not afraid! Captain Usopp isn't afraid of anything! Not even the fi…fi…fifty Fishmen down there ready to gut us."

"Fishmen?" said Shadow-san.

"Lead by the most evil pirate captain of our times!" said Scratchy. "Bloody Joe!"

"Pi…pirate?" said Yellow.

"Bloody Joe?" said Usopp.

"It's a lie," said Shadow-san, sounding amused. "There's not even one Fishman on this island, let alone fifty."

"You idiot! Don't do say things like that you really had me going!" Usopp screamed, at the same time as Yellow. Usopp twitched. This was becoming too much. He had to say something different. He folded his arms.

"I wasn't afraid," he muttered, as did Yellow at the same pitch at the same time.

"O…oi! Stop doing that!" Usopp said, stumbling to his feet and limping to the wall as he pointed a shaking finger at them. What was going on? Maybe they were all mind-readers! Maybe he'd stumbled onto a nest of evil soul-sucking telepaths determined to…to suck out his soul! Shadow-san put a hand on his shoulder and he let out a manly squeak.

"Don't be too hard on them," said Shadow-san. "They can't really help it if you think alike." Shadow-san shifted a little and Usopp felt his stomach drop. "Go ahead boys," he said. "It's time."

Time for what? Usopp wanted to ask but his voice got stuck in his throat. The two shadowed figures shared a glance then slowly pushed back their hoods. Usopp flattened himself against the wall. It was…it was…. like staring into a mirror. Except for Scratchy who had two ragged scars along his throat in a rough x mark. What…what…what… Why? Was he dreaming? It must be a nightmare. It had to be a nightmare. Or soul sucking vampires. Or face-stealing mosnters. Or something. That was it.

"Don't worry, Usopp-kun," said Yellow. "It takes a while but you get used to it."

"Yeah," said Scratchy, giving him a thumbs up. "We know how strong your mind is. Trust us."

"Sh…shut up!" he yelped. This was too weird He wanted to wake up now. It would be a good time to wake up. Wake up wake up wake up. He closed his eyes. Any moment now. Wake up! Wake _up!_ Haaaa it wasn't working!

"You should close your mouth," Shadow-san said. Usopp was startled into looking up at him and saw the same face he'd seen in the storm. His own. Older and scarred with a hollowed out place where the right eye used to be but still his own. His legs shook and he felt like he was going to fall but Shadow-san wrapped an arm around him, holding him up.

"I know how it is. Trust me," said Shadow-san kindly. Usopp couldn't feel his legs otherwise he'd be running like hell. Even now they were twitching with the need of it. A shot rang out from somewhere, cracking through the air but distant. The room went still.

"Pirates," Yellow whispered. Scratchy shuddered and backed into the shadows. Shadow-san closed his good eye and pressed the fingers of his free hand against it. Something dark and cold went from Shadow-sn, whipping through Usopp on it's path to the sunlight. Usopp shuddered as he watched it. It looked …human. Almost like the back of someone's head. His own head. What was that? Why did he feel as if he'd seen it before? He had…he realized it with a cold realization. On the Going Merry. J…just before… Shadow-san started to slump, immediately Yellow darted to his side, holding him up.

Usopp backed away, or tried to but his ankle really hurt and moving to much made him wince. It was still too weird to see himself looking back at himself. Then he saw there were only three fingers on Yellow's right hand. Ok. That was it. He was getting out of here. Usopp tried to struggle from Shadow-san's grip, making the taller man shake.

"Stop that!" snapped Yellow. "You'll really hurt him!"

_I really want to hurt him! _Thought Usopp, even though he really wasn't sure if he really did. After all, so far they'd rescued him twice. But still… He stilled, reluctantly; wondering if he was really doing the right thing.

"This is a long one," Yellow murmured.

"Do you really th…think it is pi…pirates?" Scratchy said. Usopp couldn't say anything. Just watch. His heart seemed to be pumping ice instead of blood. There was a dark shape in the distance and Usopp realized it was coming back. He saw a hint of Shadow-san's face, staring back at him before going right through him. He flinched and, the next moment, Shadow-san straightened.

"Hana-chan is on the south beach," he said, sounding tired. "He's just shot a pirate. Go get him Yellow-kun, but be gentle."

Yellow nodded and raced out, cloak flying.

"Okay, what's go…going on!" Usopp stammered. "Why do you all look like me?"

"We are all you," Shadow-san said. "And you're all of us but we're separate as well. The captain will explain. For now though it might be easier think of us as…family."

Shadow-san started to lead him away and Usopp limped after him, having to lean on him more than he would have liked. Family? He didn't know what to think about them, let alone consider them family.

"So that…black thing…was you?" Usopp said, partly to test him. Maybe he wasn't really human at all. _That's not comforting_! His mind screamed at him. No, no it wasn't but at least things might make more sense. _Things don't need to make sense, things need to get us the hell out of here, _his instinct said. But where? And how?

"Yes. A devil fruit," said Shadow-san. "It allows me to turn my spirit into super awesome shadow. I can't move anything around with it but I can see things which makes it great for spying. Pretty awesome, isn't it? I'm not as great as the Awesome Captain Usopp but all the ladies love me." He tugged at his cloak, lifting his head proudly. "They say the name Shadow makes things _mysterious_." He wiggled his fingers, probably trying to look mysterious but Usopp thought he looked like an idiot.

They came out of tunnel of the cave and into a wide round cavern, lit by flickering greasy lanterns set on niches on the walls, and small ragged holes from the top of the cave that let sunlight in. The floor of the cave was strewn with stuff, boxes and barrels and a table set with bags of powders and neat little balls and stars that were just right to fit in the cradle of a slingshot. Ah! That looked like a bag Kibaku Exploding powder. That stuff was expensive and there it was, a whole big bag of it sitting out in the open, the fine white and blue grains glittering faintly in the light. And what was this? Usopp saw a red bottle tucked behind a mound of small pointed balls and picked it up. Tabasco sauce? He turned it around to read the name and his eyes bulged. Ehhh? Rorona Tabasco? It even had Zoro's face doodled just below the name, wearing an eye patch and looking disgruntled. Why did he have his own Tabasco sauce? More importantly, why hadn't he told Usopp? Usopp uncapped it, put a dab on his finger and put it experimentally in his mouth. Hm, it wasn't so ba—

HOT! REALLY HOT! It felt like a fireworks factory had exploded in his mouth. The bottle dropped from his hand as he clapped both hands over his mouth, sure that he would belch fire. Shadow-san caught the bottle deftly and thrust a pitcher into Usopp's hand. It was full of clear clean water and Usopp drank greedily, feeling it fountain down his neck but he didn't care. The heat in his mouth was starting do abate but he could still feel his eyes tearing from it.

"You should be more careful," said Shadow-san, once again sounding amused. He shook the bottle of Tabasco sauce. "One drop of this in the wrong place and the entire mountain could go up."

"Why do you have something so dangerous just lying around?" he yelled. Shadow-san laughed.

"Are you laughing at me, jerk?" The great Captain Usopp wouldn't tolerate it! He suddenly wished he had Sanji's legs so he could kick the annoying guy through the ceiling, or be able to punch him through a wall like Zoro or even…even just be really vague and weird and annoy the hell out of him by being so dense but insightful or whatever the hell it was that Luffy did to drive his enemies crazy. As it was, he was Usopp, he could just stand there feeling affronted. He supposed he could hit him with something but there were only parts on the table. It would take time to put something together.

"Sorry, I'm not laughing at you," said Shadow-san, holding up his hands. He was smiling with his eyes closed, well eye; but somehow the lack of one didn't seem as frightening as it once had. The hands rested on his shoulders and Usopp saw they were scarred as well, with an ugly burn on his wrist like a flash powder gone wrong.

"It's just that I have never seen a more spirited Usopp," Shadow-san said and even though he was still smiling sadness seemed to come to his face. Usopp wasn't sure what to say. The words struck him oddly. _A_ more spirited Usopp, like he was part of a series. This guy…this guy really looked different from him, older, but so much alike so it was like Usopp was looking into the future. He felt suddenly disjointed and out of touch with whatever reality was.

Shadow-san lead him to where a plush carpet was rolled against the wall and sat him down. He left for a moment and then returned, pressing another cup into Usopp's hands. This one looked like tea. Usopp stared into it and saw his reflection staring back at him. _His _reflection. Not anyone else's. Or, it used to be. Now there were suddenly a lot of other people just like him and he wasn't...he wasn't sure…

"Usopp-kun…" said Shadow-san. He might have wanted to say something else but a voice from the shadows spoke first.

"So here he is." This voice was like Shadow-san's but rough with age. Usopp looked up, his heart tripping in his chest and looked around for the speaker. On the other side of the room he seemed to see a darker shape in the blackness, a more solid black. Usopp clenched the tea cup between his fingers. The solid blackness detached itself from the wall and started to come toward him.

"Captain," Shadow-san said, straightening and moving to the side, leaving Usopp completely open. He resisted the urge to tug Shadow-san back in front of him. He…he wasn't scared. After all the captain would just be another one of him right? There was a strange, shuffling click to his gait and, as the Captain came into a pool of light, Usopp saw he walked with a cane because one leg was made out of wood. The rest of his features were shrouded in a black cloak the light only shining on the tip of his nose. The Captain stopped a few feet in front of them and Usopp tried to pretend his legs weren't shaking. There was something about this man. Something that told every instinct in Usopp's body to run. Maybe he could dart to the table and find something to throw and then go—Run—Somewhere. Anywhere. He would do it! He would go for it! As soon as the captain's guard was down.

"Shadow," said the captain. "What is the status of the pirates?"

"Three of them are taken care of, sir," said Shadow-san. "The fourth one hasn't been located yet." F…four pirates? Usopp straightened. Did he mean…? Had the others really found him here? If that was true-

"W…what do you mean taken care of?"

The captain shifted and Usopp got the impression of sharp eyes boring into him. He could feel an edge in the air. _Tread carefully, Usopp, _he thought, feeling a trail of sweat go down his temple.

"What should it matter to you?" the captain said. "You're not a pirate lover are you?"

"No, no, no of curse not. I hate pirates!" Usopp's babbled without any interference from his brain. "I hate their black guts! I hate them more than anyone else! I once killed thirty with my bare hands!" Well…that was…he hated _some _pirates. Luffy or anyone in his crew weren't the same thing right? Sure they were pirates and sure Luffy wanted to be the pirate king but he wasn't, right? He didn't even barely plunder anything (that was Nami's job anyway) so they weren't really really _really_ pirates. _How could you do this?_ said another part of his mind, deeper even then the fear which kept his legs moving. _They're pirates and so are you. _

But…but…but he didn't want to _die_ as a pirate, not right now, and that was key and this Captain guy didn't sound like he'd take too kindly to confessions of pirating.

"Good," said the captain. "I've only spared one pirate in my life and I refuse to spare another, even if it is an Usopp."

"Well you don't have to worry about me," Usopp said with a nervous laugh even while he turned the words over in his mind. _An _Usopp. Like _an _apple. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Shadow tense, his scarred hand pulling into a fist. He looked ready to punch someone and Usopp hoped it wasn't him.

"Excellent. You seem like a nice lad. I would hate to have to blow your head off," the captain said lightly. Like it was a joke. He was definitely getting out of here at the first opportunity. If it was his crew that they were talking about the Going Merry was probably in the harbor and he could run to it, yeah… After all Luffy and Zoro and Sanji were really strong and he'd only hurt them than help them so it was okay to let them fight their own way out. Right?

_They didn't abandon you_, said the voice.

_Shut…Shut up! This is trying to survive! _

_Even if your friends die? _

_They won't! _

_Are you sure? _

The captain settled next to him making Usopp jump and nearly fall off the rug. He waved a gloved hand absently at Shadow-san.

"Go take care of the fourth one, then. Usopp-kun and I have a lot to talk about."

"Yes, sir," Shadow-san said, pulling the hood of his cloak back over his face and walking away. Usopp wanted him to come back. He wanted to run himself. He wanted to open his eyes and be on the Going Merry; this having all been some strange horrible dream. With the captain so close, though, his limbs felt frozen in fear. He couldn't move, couldn't run, only listen as the captain began to talk.

* * *

HEY LOOK

an update.

Thanks to FNA Sora for being awesome u.u


	7. Nothing but the Truth

**Nothing but the Truth**

Well this was just peachy.

Nami thumped her staff in sand, leaning on it as she debated on whether to go back to the ship. She'd been up and down the beach at least a dozen times and there was no sign of Usopp. She didn't even know where anyone else was since Luffy had slingshotted Sanji into the stratosphere, that idiot, and who could tell where Zoro had ultimately ended up. At least the forest didn't look _too _dangerous. Nami peered through the slanting shadows of the trees. There had been a scream but that had been a while ago, and far off besides. Anyway, if anything dangerous burst out of the forest she would just run like hell to the Going Merry…and hope whatever it was wasn't too good at swimming. If they were, well, she'd worry about that when the time came.

This decided she began to walk along the shore, dividing her attention between looking for signs of Usopp and checking the forest, just in case. After a while she began to relax. The breeze was nice and the weather was perfect. The coast curved around to the east here and Nami glanced back at the ship to judge how far she had come. The Going Merry was still in running distance; much further and it would have to be the I'm-going-to-die-sprint. Nami debated and had decided to turn back when she heard a muffled squeaking sound coming from the direction of the forest.

She cocked her head toward the sound. It faded out and came again. It sounded—it sounded almost like someone crying and trying to hide it. Curiosity got the better of her and Nami followed the sound, hesitating briefly at the cool entrance of the forest before pressing on. It didn't take her long to see a small figure, a child really, tucked up against the roots of a tree, head resting on his knees and shoulders shaking as he squeaked miserably. What was a kid doing here? And…why did he look so familiar?

She came a little closer, freezing as a dry stick snapped under her weight. The kid was immediately on his feet, a rubber band hooked between his fingers and aimed in her direction. Even though the forest was dim, there was no mistaking his features. Those eyes, that hair, that nose. Her eyes widened.

"Usopp?"

"Oh," Usopp (right? Wasn't he?) blinked and lowered the rubber band. "Sorry I thought you were…um…someone else." He stuffed the rubber band into his pocket and looked up at her and smiled. This couldn't be happening. It had to be a dream. But he looked real. She grabbed his nose, getting a squwak from him. He _felt _real. But…but why was he child sized?

"Usopp, what happened to you?" Nami said, clinging to her staff mostly so she wouldn't fall over. Had he eaten something? Was it because of this island? Oh no! Did that mean that San…Sanji and Zoro and Lu…Luffy would become kids, too? She could just see it now, herself, surrounded by pint sized crew mates, fighting, causing trouble, breaking things, wanting to be tucked in… Well it wasn't too much different from normal but then she'd be the responsible one and it…it just….

"Hey!" Usopp said. "Hey, lady. Are you okay?" A cool if slightly grubby hand brushed her forehead and Nami absently realized she'd sunk into a crouch. "You're not sick or anything, are you? We don't have a doctor yet."

"We?" Nami echoed. If he was talking about their crew, why had he called her lady? Usopp blinked and paled then smiled in that wide way he used when he was going to lie his brains out. But suddenly the expression dropped from his face and he folded his hands behind him and bowed his head and kicked at an acorn with a sandaled foot.

"Never mind, it's nothing." He looked up at her again. "Are you really okay? I know some plants that are good for healing stuff, like fevers and headaches. Poison-neesan gets them all the time. She always says 'Go away, you little brat. My head hurts'." Usopp said, his pitching his voice to a squeak. Poison-neesan? Nami had completely lost him.

"No, I'm fine," Nami said, standing. She sounded a little dazed to her own ears and forced a smile when Usopp gave her a concerned look. "I really am," she said brightly. "I was just surprised, that's all."

"Oh," he said. "Are you Us—I mean, are you my friend?"

"I'm Nami," she said, hoping this would trigger some sort of memory. She was still waiting for things to make any kind of sense. Judging by Usopp's blank look it wasn't going to be happening any time soon.

"I'm your friend," she said, finally. Usopp smiled, looking relieved and adorable. Then he looked around, twisting his head one way, then the other, scanning the tops of trees and even turning in a full circle before giving her a solemn look and gesturing her downward. Nami bent and tried not to be annoyed as Usopp's nose poked her in the temple while he whispered in her ear:

"Can you take me home?"

"Home?" Nami blinked. "Back to Syrup Island?"

Usopp nodded vigorously. He seemed antsy suddenly, shifting from foot to foot and looking over his shoulder. He was making her nervous.

"I can try," she said with a smile, feeling somehow that she shouldn't outright lie to him—not at least until she knew what was going on. Usopp slipped his hand in hers. It was…so very weird. Well for right now she would just have to deal with it. Nami squeezed Usopp's hand, trying to be reassuring. Together they left the cool forest for the warm sunlight and the crash of the sea. Usopp sighed, his small shoulders rising and falling. It occurred to Nami that he wasn't wearing the clothes he went overboard in. He had a white shirt and jean shorts and sandles. Even his headscarf was different, dark blue with paler blue marks on it that looked familiar but were too sunfaded to really pick it out. In fact all of his clothes looked worn, frayed and patched here and there but decent. Strangely enough, the brown bag at his side was still the same, though on a much smaller scale and looked to be badly handmade but the design was similar. She had no idea what was going on.

"I've been on the sea for three years," Usopp said distantly. "I'm tired of it. Aren't you, Nami-san?"

"Not yet," she said lightly. There was definitely something odd here. Age differences aside this kid was Usopp but not Usopp. Nami couldn't figure it out.

"My Mom loved the sea," Usopp said. "She used to talk about how, when she was younger she used to sail on it all the time and get in lots of adventures."

It stung a little to hear about Usopp's mother. It made her remember her own. She could do so fondly now. It was less of a bitter memory and more bittersweet.

"I bet you want to sail just like she did."

"I did but Mom's a liar, you know. She only ever left Syrup Island once in her life." Usopp shook his head as if he was greatly disappointed. Nami looked down at him at loss for words. This was going to get very sad if she let it go on and things were strange enough without that. She had to find a way to bring up the mood.

"So how are your eight-thousand followers?" she asked with a slight laugh. The line of Usopp's shoulders tensed and his fingers twitched in her hand. She had the feeling she had just said something wrong.

"I don't _have _eight-thousand followers," Usopp said, clenching his free hand into a fist. "I don't even have one. I'm not a great captain or brave or anything. I'm Usopp. Just Usopp and I don't lie." He stomped his foot into the sand to emphasize his point.

"Really?" Nami said, once more thrown off her groove. "I'm sorry."

"No, it's not your fault." His shoulders dropped again. "_They _do it all the time. I used to, too. But it doesn't help. If everyone is always lying no one knows how they really feel anymore."

This Usopp was definitely not theirs. She could see bits of him in the kid's stance, in the way he spoke and even some of the things he said. Usopp at his most serious and most brave. This kid, though, seemed more world weary somehow. As if he'd already been through so much and didn't want to go through anymore.

"Who are 'they'?" Nami asked. At first she thought he might have meant other Usopps running around but she sincerely hoped not. This was weird enough with just the two of them. Usopp didn't answer. He was all tense again and he pulled his hand away, backing up a step or two. Nami didn't see anything dangerous. The only thing moving was the Going Merry, bobbing up and down with the waves, flag carried high by the wind.

"Is that your ship?" Usopp asked, his voice tight. Was he afraid because of the pirate flag? She wasn't sure.

"Yep!" Nami said, once again trying to sound cheerful, to make him feel safe. Usopp didn't say anything. Nami glanced at him, expecting fear and backed up, startled. He was _angry_. More than that. Furious. She didn't think she'd ever seen that expression on Usopp's face before. It frightened her just a little even though this Usopp was a kid and she could probably crack the pole over his head before he could do anything.

"You're a _pirate_ aren't you?" he spat, reaching into his bag. Nami readied her staff. Was he as good a shot as their Usopp? She didn't want to turn her back on him to run as she probably couldn't run fast enough but it shouldn't be too bad. He'd likely just flick a few stones or something at her and if Nami could bat them away she might get close enough to smack him upside the head.

Usopp pulled out a pistol that looked much to big for him. Nami's insides turn to ice. His face was serious and that pistol looked real. She didn't want to risk it if it wasn't. Should she run or try to talk him out of it?

"Usopp, I'm a nice pirate. I wouldn't hurt anyone."

"Liar!" Usopp snapped. "There are no nice pirates! There are only evil pirates!" Tears were streaking down his face. "I'm sorry, Nami-san. You seem really nice but I promised to kill every pirate I saw so I'm sorry, I'm sorry," He pulled back the hammer. "I'll make you a nice grave, I promise."

Nami felt each and every breath as it moved through her lungs. She could taste the salt of the sea on her tongue and feel the grain of the staff clutched between her fingers. As soon as he pulled that trigger she was dead. Nami had faced death before, more times than she wanted to count. But getting killed by a nine-year-old Usopp had not even entered her wildest imagination. He had started crying, silently, his hands shaking; like he didn't want to do this after all. Something sparked inside her. Maybe she still had a chance!

She bit the inside of her lip and darted forward, raising her staff high. Usopp shrieked and dropped the pistol. It went off, Nami yelped and startled, dancing away from it. Usopp was reaching for the pistol again, small fingers splayed wide. Nami hooked the pistol with her staff and slung it away, watching it rise in a glittering arc before landing in the ocean. She turned back to Usopp then, hoisting her staff in case he had another pistol. Usopp was crouched down, both hands clapped over his head and shivering. He made a faint squeaking sound and Nami realized he was trying not to cry again. She felt bad, somehow. Even if it was her life that was threatened… He was just…he was just a little kid. A scared little kid. She knelt down and whacked him on the head.

"Don't point that thing at people, you could have killed me!" she snapped, popping him on the head. He flinched then looked up at her, tears and snot streaming down his face and she felt bad. Geeze. She sighed and knelt to his level.

"I know pirates can be nasty and cruel," she said. "But we're not like those pirates. We're…different."

"N…no. That ca…can't be right," he said, looking down, but he seemed uncertain. If only Luffy were here. If anyone could convince anyone of anything it was Luffy. And anyway there was no way, (unless you were a blind Marine thickhead) that anyone could mistake Luffy for bad. An idiot, yes. Careless sometimes. But not bad. The most Nami could do was say:  
"I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"N…no…" He wiped his eyes and took out a handkerchief with a cat on it and blew his nose. "But…but why? E…even if you are a nice pirate I tried…I was gonna kill you."

"Because we're friends," she said with a smile. Usopp blinked at her, then suddenly looked up. Nami did too but saw only a strange dark smudge drifting from the mountain.

"Oh no!" Usopp said, bolting to his feet. "Na…Nami-san, p…please I need you to trust me." He sounded urgent in that 'something really bad is coming' way. She didn't see anything but at his wide-eyed expression decided to risk it. Nami nodded. Usopp took something out of his bag and mashed his hand against her forehead. Something cool and sticky burst against her skin. It smelled like ketchup. Usopp then pulled another pistol out of his bag and pointed it at her head.

"Pl…play dead," he said, glancing nervously upward. She did, flopping back on the sand and was glad her hair had dried enough so that she wouldn't look like sandcastle when coming up. She opened her eyes just a little, enough to see through the slant in her lashes. Usopp was still standing over her but looking nervous. It seemed as if a person was watching them from the trees, darker than he should be, almost like a shadow. He or it or whatever it was seemed to watch for a moment then zipped back up the mountain. Usopp glanced up cautiously, then his shoulders relaxed and he let the pistol droop.

"You can get up now," he said. Nami sat up, putting her fingers to her forehead and lifting them away to find them coated with ketchup. Well she should have expected it.

"Sorry about that," Usopp said, stepping forward. He produced another handkerchief, this one with bears, and dabbed at her forehead. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Nami said, watching him stuff the handkerchief back into his pockets.

"That's good. Look, you have to go." He shoved at her shoulder a little. "You're a nice pirate. I believe you are, I guess, but you have to get out of here. I don't know who that nasty spy will send to fetch me but if it's Cook or Blue he'll really try to kill you."

She had no idea what he was talking about but he looked worried and kept glancing back at the mountain. Usopp picked up her staff and held it out to her.

"Please, please get going. Go far away from here."

"I can't, not without my crew." It surprised herself to say it with such conviction. Of course if things really got bad she would cut the anchor and haul herself at least to the deep water so they couldn't swim out to her but as for leaving them completely…

"Well at least go hide somewhere. Go to your ship. They won't go there, at least not without Captain." He was tugging on her arm, trying to get her to stand. She still didn't know what was going on but the fear in his voice was palpable. Nami stood, grabbing her staff.

"What about you?"

"They won't hurt me. Go." Usopp shoved her a little harder and kept throwing glances back at the forest. She was starting to see shapes between the trees herself but wasn't sure if it was because they were there or because Usopp was making her paranoid.

"Go!" he said, sounding frantic. Would they really not hurt him? She couldn't be sure. Why would he want to escape so badly? She didn't feel right just leaving him.

"Let's go together then," she said, holding out her hand.

"Wh…what?" he blinked.

"Come _on, _you knucklehead. Don't give up that easily. I'm your friend and I'm going to help so just come with me!"

He hesitantly reached for her hand. She grabbed his and started running, as fast as she could toward the Going Merry. Usopp stumbled initially but caught up with her, even going a little faster in pure Usopp brand terror.

Fortunately they got to the ship fast enough and even when they were on deck, panting and dripping with salt water, nothing had emerged from the trees. Usopp did look a little uncomfortable on deck, as if expecting a pirate to jump out of nowhere and cut him up. There had to be something that could calm him down.

"Hey," she said. "Do you want a mikan?" And hopped up onto the quarter deck, determined to give him a mikan whether he wanted one or not.

"Mikan?" he turned to look at her finally. "Wow! How did you get trees to grow on the ship!"

"Talent!" Nami said, sticking out her tongue a little. She plucked one from the lower branches and tossed it at him. He caught it easily and turned once more to look at the coastline. She looked, too. Did she see the branches moving? Ok she wasn't going to panic here. They just had to get out of sight was all, but she didn't want to scare Usopp either.

"Come on, I'll show you around," Nami said. Usopp blinked and nodded.

"Oh…ok."

She showed him the galley where he marveled at the giant mousetrap, and her room where they looked at maps together and she explained the islands to him while he propped his chin on his fist and looked absorbed in her telling. She wondered what stories were forming in his head.

A little while later, partly out of curiosity, she showed him the boy's room. It was messy though less than usual and Nami had to only step over one red vest and nudge a pair of half unraveled sandas out of the way before plunking herself on the couch.

"Oh, wow. This must be Usopp's side," Usopp said, darting unerringly to where Usopp's bag lay. She watched him open it and go through it and wondered if she should stop him. But since he was Usopp or… they were both Usopp (or something) it was okay, wasn't it? Anyway Usopp had never been much of a thief.

"Wow this is some pretty nice stuff," Usopp said, pulling out a slingshot and testing it. "This slingshot looks handmade but it's got an awesome pull! Pretty sturdy, too." He turned to grin at her. "Your Usopp is a pretty great craftsman!"

"My Usopp?" she said. "What do you mean? What's going on?"

Usopp gave her a long look and then slid his gaze away as if he was trying to think of what to say. After a moment he dropped his head in a long sigh and turned to crawl up on Usopp's hammock. Nami watched as he settled on the netting, kicking his feet absently as he swayed with the motion of the ship.

"Okay, listen," he said. "I don't lie, okay? But this is going to sound like the biggest piece of crap you ever heard."

His un-Usopp-like candor surprised a giggle out of her and she was immediately charmed. This kid was going to be dangerous when he grew up. Usopp gripped the edges of the hammock absently and looked at her.

"The sneaky bastard spy always used to tell me this: Your entire life is full of decisions." Usopp flared his hands in a wide arch. "You can only make one and you have to give up the other one. So you go with your decision and maybe in the weirdness of the universe another you separates and goes the other way."

"So you're the decision that Usopp didn't make?" Nami asked. It did sound like a lot of crap and weird and philosophical. She knew that the Grand Line was stranger than most places but this seemed stranger than strange. Usopp shook his head.

"I dunno. Maybe. Anyway that's just sneaky bastard's theory. The story goes something like this…" He hesitated. "You…you know what happened to Syrup Village, right?"

Nami nodded, though the wording was odd. What happened to? More like what happened in—but she didn't press and just let him speak.

"Ok, so it all starts with the Captain. He was heart broken, you know, completely after everything and for a while he just sort of drifted around. Then he got mad and started hunting pirates and stuff out of revenge and he got really good at it. He became the most feared hunter on the East Blue."

"Usopp?" Nami said, trying not to laugh. She almost couldn't believe it. Usopp…Little Usopp nodded at her, his face serious. Her humor was gone. She almost wanted him to be lying. The thought of Usopp...any Usopp…hunting anyone sat uneasily in her stomach.

"He really was. He was—well is merciless. So after a while of pirate hunting, one day he, came to the Grand Line and ended up here," Usopp said, pointing in the direction of the island. "And he was lost and really hungry and his ship was battered. He hadn't eaten in a week or more and so he crawled on the island and the first thing he saw was this big black and purple spiky fruit and he ate it one gulp." Usopp mimed eating the fruit. "And then he went about repairing his ship and such and then on the new moon there was this really big weird storm with red lightning and stuff and when it was done, nothing looked different but he sailed around a bit and encountered a pirate ship and fought everyone on board until he found _another_ Usopp. This one is sneaky bastard spy."

"Are you sure it wasn't just a look alike?" Nami said, finding it almost impossible to believe. How could that sort of thing even happen? Except the storm Usopp described had been the same one as earlier. Was it just a coincidence?

"Maybe, but his name was Usopp, too, and he was from Syrup Village and terrible things had happened… Anyway in that time he convinced sneaky bastard spy to join him and tried to figure out what was going on and finally discovered he'd eaten a devil's fruit. He calls it the doko-doko fruit—and every new moon it lets him go to different… different… choice places. You know where there are different Usopps and Captain made it his mission to gather all the Usopps together into his crew and destroy all the pirates in all the choice places so small villages like ours wouldn't have to suffer." He sighed deeply. "Only…only I'm really tired of fighting pirates, Nami-san."

"That's incredible." It really was. She felt like she believed him because she couldn't think up any other explanation unless this was the biggest prank she'd ever seen. Oh geez, that probably meant there were more Sanjis and Zoros and Luffys. (and more of her, too. but she didn't like to think of that) It was a good thing they weren't all here or the world just might explode. Then she recalled his words. Wait a second. If this captain was dedicated to eradicating pirates then…

"There's just three of you, right? Three Usopps I mean."

"Nope." Usopp began counting on his fingers. "There's Captain and sneaky bastard spy, Poison-neesan, Blue-nii, Yellow-nii, Cook the bastard, Patient-nii, Fingers-nii and Lost-kun. So," he counted off. "Nine of us including me."

"And they all hate pirates?"

"Wouldn't you?" He cocked his head at her and she blinked, not knowing what to say. She guessed, due to all circumstances, she should but… "Well I guess not," Usopp said, lying back on the hammock, hands behind his head, one leg dangling. "Since you're nice. Not all pirates are nice you know, Nami-san."

"No, I know," she murmured, looking out the porthole. Nine Usopps. Well, eight since Little Usopp wasn't there. Still it wasn't as if Usopp himself was that strong. He was clever and he could do really amazing things when pressed but surely it wouldn't be a problem for any of the guys.

"It's funny, though," Usopp said distantly. "Every time we cross we always end up at this island and then we go searching but I don't ever remember an Usopp coming to us like this one did. I wonder why that is?"

"I don't know…" She looked at him. He seemed so small and frail hanging there. Taking him home would mean going to Syrup Village and leaving the Grand Line. Luffy probably would, knowing Luffy and everyone else would be okay with it, she bet. Usopp would probably feel good going home again for a visit… But… "Ne, Usopp-chan," she said softly. "If what you say is true the Syrup Village here won't be anything like your home."

"I know…I can't really go home anyway. Captain can only go to one place once. But…any home is better than no home at all."

"That's true," she folded her arms and leaned against the couch. She felt sorry for him but strangely, he didn't sound sorry for himself. It was weirdly brave of him…but everything was weird.

"Well we'll take you home," she said, cheerfully. And they would no matter whose heads she had to slap. "I bet Luffy and you will get along great and you haven't tasted cooking until you've tasted Sanji-kun's."

"Sanji!" Usopp sat up so violently the hammock swung and he fell off landing hard on the floor. Nami winced but he popped right back up as if that didn't bother him at all. "No way. Sanji's here?"

"You know him?" Nami said, though not really wanting to think about an alternate dimension Sanji. One swooning blond master chef was good but two….

"I met him once in fourth dimension! We were on the Baratie and I was trying to run away through the back kitchens and he caught me. I thought he was going to kill me or something but he was really nice and even made me something! That was the best food I've tasted _ever_."

"Do you know if he ever found the All Blue?" she asked since she'd started the topic anyway. Usopp gave her a pained look and sat cross-legged where he was, resting his hands on his knees.

"No…I don't…I don't know what that is but…on that day a pirate crew attacked the Baratie. Don something or other. There were only four of us then and Captain didn't want to risk it but everyone on the restaurant was killed. He…he fought really hard, Sanji, I saw him but…but he couldn't do it alone and they…they gutted him and hung him like a fish." His fingers clenched into the fabric of his pants and Nami felt faintly sick. Usopp looked up, eyes suspiciously glassy.

"But he's alive here, right, Nami-san? So it's okay. I want to meet him even if he doesn't know me. He told me…he said to never give up to just do your best and…and something really weird about ladies but I didn't get it. Are he and this Usopp friends?"

"Yeah," said Nami, caught between sadness and fondness of the cook who seemed to be the same no matter what dimension.

"Wow… Friends with you and Sanji…" Usopp sighed and rested his chin on his hands. "This is the best choice place ever. Your Usopp is really really lucky."

Nami smiled but she didn't really know what to say. There was so much to process and thinking about Sanji like that…or trying not to… She closed her eyes then opened them and looked out the window again. The guys would be alright. Nothing bad would happen—right?

* * *

Don't own OP, obvs

Much thanks to Liashi FNA Sora for being awesome.


	8. Guess Who's Coming to Dinner

**Guess Who's Coming to Dinner  
**

'That's the biggest piece of crap I've ever heard,' Usopp had said. Come on. Alternate dimensions? Doko-doko fruit? Most feared pirate-hunter on the sea? Usopp was as much a connoisseur of lies as Sanji was of food. He could smell when one went bad and that one had smelled as rotten as fish at noon.

'What the hell are you calling crap, you damned kid!' the captain had yelled at him, not really intimidating at all despite his scar mangled face and the knives that glinted in the belt that crossed his chest or the heavy pistol at his side. Like those weapons could frighten Usopp.

And then Usopp, in a fit of unimaginable pluck and bravery had muttered under his breath that he wasn't stupid enough to believe it; at which point the captain had pointed a pistol to his face and told him he'd better believe it if he wanted his skull intact. Usopp had believed. At that moment he'd believed in it harder than he ever had anything in his life until the captain seemed satisfied. Now the old lunkhead was in the center of the room, doing arm repetitions with huge weights.

Usopp watched him, feeling a sort of contempt for the guy he couldn't place. The captain did kind of look like Usopp, just like Shadow did. The awesome nose was there and the bushy hair and big feet in solid work boots. But there were differences, too. The captain had muscles for one thing, a lot more than Usopp ever thought he might get. Though he didn't look quite as tough as Zoro.

"Moron," Usopp muttered under his breath. "Poser. Idiot."

The captain looked straight at him as if he heard and Usopp sipped his third cup of tea and looked away, pretending he hadn't said anything. Unfortunately he looked right into another Usopp. Scratchy, or rather Fingers as he called himself had a hand clapped over his mouth as if he had been snickering then shrieked and dodged as a weight bounced off the place where he'd just been.

"It wasn't me! It wasn't me!" Fingers shrieked. Usopp felt a little bad and looked into his tea because it was the only place he wouldn't see another Usopp, except with the stupid lanterns he did anyway. He wouldn't let this upset him. He shouldn't. It was all some weird lie. He knew lies. He was a master of them and this was one. Someone was playing a trick or…or maybe he'd been given some drugs by evil men wanting to contain his mad fighting rage before he took them all down and this was just a hallucination. Whatever it was, it wasn't the truth because…because…because he was Usopp! And the only Usopp!

"Hey," says Fingers, sitting beside him crosslegged. Usopp let him but only because he felt kind of sorry for him. He tried not to look at him, though, especially that huge scar across his neck that looked so similar to Usopp's neck; or the scars that continued unabated down his bare arms, or the skull and bones mark, burned into the crook of his right arm where it probably took a long time to heal. It was all some trick. Some part of the game. He, the great Usopp, wasn't fooled. He knew what was going on. Or rather, he knew what wasn't going on.

"Captain is really strong, isn't he?" Fingers said after a moment and Usopp shrugged. His nakama could take the man in a fight, even Nami probably. Well maybe not Nami but she'd at least rob him blind. That was why he shouldn't worry, right? Right. Though he went easy on them a lot, his crewmates were really strong. No matter what Shadow had meant by taken care of…well it was probably a lie! That's right. What was he worried about? He just had to kick back and wait for them to arrive kicking the lousy muscle captain against the wall and Usopp would be able to tell him with pride, I'm Usopp…_the_ Usopp and I'm a pirate and the bravest warrior in the sea.

"Ne, Usopp-kun," said Fingers, nudging him. Usopp thought about ignoring him. About maybe pretending to be asleep or something. "Did you really fight fifty pirates with your bare hands?"

"Of course!" Usopp said. "There we were: my small crew and fifty of the meanest pirates ever to sail! Our brave captain had been taken. He fought really hard and punched a lot of pirates over the deck but they wrapped sea stone around his neck and he couldn't move. The rest of my crewmates had been completely surrounded and were helpless!" He could imagine himself there, on the deck of the ship, face set in brave determination as they were surrounded; Sanji and Zoro probably bleeding somewhere while Luffy flailed his rubbery arms. "'You have to save them, Usopp!' My captain said. And I had only one slingshot and my bare fists."

"Then what happened?" asked Fingers, breathless. Out of the corner of his eye, Usopp saw the captain had paused to listen too, his head cocked back, the weight half raised. Then the captain startled, seeming to notice that Usopp had noticed and began lifting again, counting "one two, one two" under his breath. Usopp grinned. This was almost as good as telling something to Luffy.

"I knew I was in danger. I was probably going to die. So I set my sights on the most evil captain of the pirates and pulled back my slingshot, aiming steadily and I could feel myself sweat. I wasn't afraid at all but if I missed I might accidentally hit the ship's navigator and even fatally injure her. But I knew I had to do it. I pulled back the slingshot-" he mimed it in the air, seeing Nami's worried face as the evil captain held her, his glasses glinting in the sunlight. "And the slingshot _snapped!_"

"Oh no!" Fingers said.

"But the pirate captain had flinched and I knew my moment! I jumped from our deck to theirs and punched that captain right in the face!" He mimed this, too. "And then they all ganged up on me and I punched and kicked and I fought until my knuckles had burst and my nose was broken and then when the dust cleared I was facing the meanest pirate of them all, Uh… Iron Tank! He was made completely of metal except for his head which had been sewn on!"

"I met him too!" Fingers said.

"I've defeated him three times," said the captain.

"That's a complete lie!" Usopp and Fingers shouted. A vein in the captain's head pulsed.

"Who are you saying is lying you ungrateful brats!"

Usopp yelped as a weight came flying at him and dove out of the way. It clanged into the wall, making large dent before cracking into the stone floor. Suddenly weights were flying all over the room and it was all Usopp could do was keep moving. This guy was insane!

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Fingers scratched. A huge bang and then a shriek. "I said I was sorry stop throwing those things!"

"You lie just as much as the rest of them," Usopp muttered.

"I heard that!" the captain. Oh crap! Usopp turned to see a huge weight hurtling toward him like a giant metal Frisbee of death. Aaah! He was going to die! He was going to die! A shadow flew out in front of him.

"Lieutenant Usopp: Ten Ton Hammer!" A high voice screamed and Usopp's eyes widened as said hammer hit the weight and sent it careening back. The captain caught it in his chest, sliding back across the room before falling over. That….that…that was so cool. Usopp blinked as he saw the person in the light. Another him, obviously, but taller and narrower and with b…b…b…why was she a girl!

"Poison-neesan," Fingers said. Captain looked up, struggling to lift the weight from his chest.

"Insubordination!" he howled.

"Shut up, Captain. God, you're loud," Poison said, setting her large red and yellow hammer onto the ground and pushing her goggles up onto her head. She turned around and looked at him. "Oi, Yellow-kun. I need you to help me with something."

Usopp looked around and saw no one behind him or anyone else in the room except for Fingers and the captain who was still trying to lift the weight, his legs flailing against the ground.

"Uh, that's not Yellow-kun, that's the new Usopp," said Fingers. Poison raised her eyebrows, putting one hand on a curvy hip. This was just weird. He guessed he could imagine her as a sister or some distant cousin or something. She looked at him contemplatively.

"He looks just like Yellow-kun," she said.

"He isn't!" Fingers held up his hands defensively. "I swear."

"I'm not," Usopp said at near the same time. "I'm just Usopp." Just Usopp. The only Usopp. She grinned at him.

"With an attitude like that I guess you are," she said, letting go of her hammer and dusting her hands off. "Don't worry you'll get used to it."

Why did everyone keep saying that? He didn't want to get used to it. She seemed friendly, too, though and he had the sinking feeling he _was _starting to get used to it. She smiled at him and patted his shoulder. "I got a big catch and I need you to help me lug it in here," she told him. "Think you can?"

"S…sure," he said absently.

"You, too, Fingers. I have something for you to carry."

"Yeah okay," Fingers said. There was a scraping noise as the captain pushed the weight off of him and sat up, one knee close to his chest. He was staring right at Usopp, his face shadowed and creepy by the lighting.

"Poison," said the captain. "Don't let our new Usopp run away."

I'm not your Usopp!. He wasn't! He was his own Usopp. He wanted to scream; except he wasn't sure what Poison would do. She laughed her voice echoing off the walls.

"Why would any Usopp want to run away from us?" She patted his shoulder again and went out. Usopp followed her and noticed with some surprise her hair was different. It wasn't curled and kinky like his but long and straight coming down to her shoulders like Mom's hair had. If all these Usopps were really from alternate realities… he wondered…he wondered if Mom had lived in any of them. No. No he knew that was definitely not true. If she was alive, none of them would be here. They would be with her instead…

They went out into the sunlight…what was left of it. The sun was starting to set now, the sky alive with colors. From this height Usopp could see the sea plainly. There was a ship there, bobbing in the waves and his heart leapt and then sank as he realized it wasn't the Merry. It was bigger for one thing and the flag was blue and white, not a pirate flag at all.

"That's the Kaya," said Fingers, coming to stand by Usopp's side. "Isn't she beautiful? She's light and quick and with ten guns we make short work of any pirate"

"K…Kaya?" Usopp echoed. Why were they naming a ship like that after her? He didn't think she'd like that at all.

"You'll get a closer view of her later, Usopp-kun," Poison said. "But I need to get my catch in a safe place quickly so that I can look for the terrible threesome before the sun sets."

T…terrible threesome? Usopp wasn't sure he even wanted to ask. Instead he followed her down the path. It was a little steep here and his ankle still throbbed a bit but it was okay now. A wind blew up from the valley below and lifted her hair from her neck. He could see a thick white scar there, along her spine. Why did all these…these…why did they all have scars or were missing things? Was it some sort of future for him? Of course he wanted a manly scar to show that he really was a fierce and brave warrior but these looked like they really hurt!

The incline got a little steeper but there in a level place lay a huge sack with a smaller wrapped sack beside it. What the heck kind of catch could that be? It was huge! Maybe it was a deer or something but it looked lumpy in the wrong kind of places.

"Here," Poison said, scooping up the longer thinner package and tossing it to Fingers who fumbled with it and almost dropped it. Whatever was in the package clanked in an oddly familiar way. "Could you get the foot end, Usopp-kun?"

"Got it." He went down to the foot end and saw a trail in the dirt that suggested she'd hauled this thing by herself the entire way up the mountain. It was probably nothing he couldn't handle. Usopp cracked his fingers, bent and picked up the feet end. He lifted and grunted in surprise. This thing was pretty heavy! What the hell kind of deer weighed that much? Posion laughed.

"Now you know how I feel." She picked up the other end. "Come on let's get him back inside."

It was harder than it looked and he was really sweating as he worked the big deer up the steep slope. He bet it would taste delicious when it was cooked. He could almost smell it now, the venison roasting, maybe some potatoes or carrots to go with it and…and no Luffy to fight with or guard your plate from. Usopp glanced guiltily toward the sea again. Maybe he could wait for his crewmates a _little _longer. They finally got it into the main cave and Usopp wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand.

"After all that work I can't wait to eat," he said. Poison smiled.

"Cook will probably make something when he gets back. I think we still have some mutton left."

"Eh?" Mutton? Why not this? Usopp idly nudged it with his foot. Maybe they had to clean it or something and that would take time. Well he was sure he could stay for breakfast at least. A soft growl made him jump and he looked for the captain, afraid more weights were incoming. The man was sitting on a large chair in the back of the room, basked in shadows. What was he watching? Was he wa…waiting for something? After a moment another rumbling sound came from him…which Usopp quickly realized was a snore. He hung his head. The weird old jerk was asleep. Well he could stay asleep. Usopp didn't care.

"It moved!" Fingers shrieked suddenly and Usopp danced away from the deer on pure panicked instinct and stared at the sack. It was perfectly still.

"Don't say things like that!" he snapped.

"It did move! I swear!"

"That's impossible," Poison said, putting her hands on her hips and frowning. "I plugged him with enough sleep draft to down a bull elephant, he shouldn't be _moving?_" she ended the last word in a shriek because then it really did move, growling twisting in the bag. That wasn't a deer at all. The bag started to tear.

"D…d…do something, Poison-neesaan!" Fingers yelled.

"I know that, you idiot!" she said, pulling a strange bamboo tube from a belt at her side and plugging a dart into it. The bag tore open more and Usopp could see the tips of blunt fingers. Aah! It wasn't a deer at all! Poison fumbled putting the dart into the tube and then blew hard near the things neck. It hit with a solid thud and the hand that had pushed halfway out of the bag stilled. They all sighed with relief. Then Usopp saw the hand twitch. No…no way! It slowly reached for the dart, found it, and broke it in half.

Ahhh! It was something human and strong and angry! They were all going to die if it got out! Without thinking, Usopp picked up the ten ton hammer that Poison had left, staggered a little under the weight and then bought it crashing down on the monster's head. The monster shuddered and stilled. They waited. Usopp swore he could feel all their hearts beating in frightened rhythm. Posion crept closer and nudged the monster with a foot. The hand slid off the neck lifelessly and slapped on the ground.

"Good work, young Usopp," said the captain. He yawned. "I would have helped but I was gauging your strength."

"You were sleeping through the whole thing!" Poison snapped. She twisted her head to the side. "Honestly if you hadn't woken up I wouldn't have even been able to show you your present."

"Present?" said the captain. Posion smiled in a way that seemed utterly confident and mildly evil. Usopp backed away, just in case. She half straddled the monster, putting one knee on his back and the other on the floor and slowly undid the ties at the head.

"I found someone you've met before. A pirate this time." She pulled back the bag, dug her fingers in green hair now stained slightly red and pulled the head back. That… that…that… Usopp dropped the mallet. His life was going to end. If not now then shortly. Very shortly. The captain chuckled and rose from his seat.

"Roronoa Zoro," he said and smiled.

* * *

Do not own, do not sue.

Thanks to Liashi FNA Sora

And you, reviewers. ^_^ It's nice to know you like it!


	9. The Price of Nakama

**The Price of Nakama**

This was bad. This was really bad. Usopp sat on the furthest fringes of the rug. He had been staring at that stupid rug so hard for the past half hour he was surprised he didn't wear a hole in it. It was a nice rug; expensive looking, dark blue and plush with a design of little white arrows. If he squinted it looked like whitecaps on a choppy sea and if he really pushed himself he could almost imagine it was, like he was looking down on it and flying far far away from the strange mess he was in here. Only there was no Going Merry on this fabric ocean, not even a fleck of dust or pebble that he could pretend was the ship.

"You seem tired," Fingers said. Usopp blinked and looked at the other boy. He was making a small net, linking cords of rope together with long fingers. It looked tricky and Usopp couldn't help but admire his skill.

"I might be a little," Usopp said, lying on instinct now. Only now that he said it, it seemed like it might be a truth. "It's been a weird day."

Fingers chuckled. It sounded a little like sandpaper being rubbed against his windpipe and Usopp looked away before he could stare at the scar on his neck and resisted the urge to rub at his own.

"That's how I felt, too," Fingers said. "I tried to run away six times at first. The captain practically had to give me a concussion so that I would stay put." Usopp winced at the word concussion. His gaze started to travel upward toward the direction of his thoughts and he shot it back down to the carpet.

_D…don't look. It won't help anything if you look_, he told himself fiercely.

_Yeah, if you do then you'll __**have**__ to act. Won't you, stinking coward!_ said a snider voice in the back of his head. But even if he were to act, what could he do? He was outnumbered and outgunned. The snide voice had no answer for that and Usopp knew, if he was going to be anything like his friends, he should just stand up in spite of the terrifying opposition and fight anyway—even if he d…died.

Th…there, see? He would die! He couldn't help anyone if he was dead so right now it was better to just bide his time and w…wait. It wasn't cowardice it was strategy. It was _deception_. Buying time. It was good. It was good.

_Keep telling yourself that…_

"…and then when Captain found out about _that _I was sore for a week," Fingers was saying, though lightly as if this was some kind of fond memory. "If Poison-nee hadn't stepped in, I'm pretty sure he would have killed me." Fingers chuckled again.

"N…ne, that sounds pretty harsh," Usopp said. The more he heard about the captain the less he liked him. The guy had a temper and wasn't afraid to lash out at anyone close enough to his fists. It was _weird _to see a captain like that. He knew there were probably plenty of other captains (pirate _and_ marine) who were worse, but he couldn't help but compare the man to Luffy. It was like the difference between night and day and it gave Usopp the chills. It didn't help that whenever the man did anything he did it with Usopp's face.

"He can be harsh," said Fingers. "But because of my screw-up we nearly got caught. Blue could have died. I just…" His fingers trembled a little and snarled the net accidentally. Usopp tried not to wince as guilt twinged through him. Luffy would never do anything like that to them no matter how much Usopp screwed up, even…even if it did end up with other members of the crew being hurt. Right?

_I knew they would be okay,_ he imagined himself saying. _I was just being strategic, that's all. _Imaginary Luffy looked at him hard.

_They're your nakama, too, Usopp, _he said and Usopp's heart nearly stopped. His eyes shot open and he stared at the carpet, trying to bleed the look of imaginary Luffy out of his brain. S…so what if he would say something like that? D…didn't matter. And maybe he wouldn't! Maybe Usopp was being too hard on himself. Even if he'd bested one Fishman, these guys were heavily armed and meant business.

And…well what…what was he worried about? This was Z…Zoro and Sanji lying there chained up. Any moment now they would break free of those chains, ready to kill someone and Usopp would be the only one to stand between the crew and certain death. Yeah! Of course. It would be as simple as that. He fixed this in his mind, an irresolute fact, then looked up. They were still chained up there on the floor, bound together back to back with thick chains looping around and around and three different padlocks.

From what he could see, Zoro was still asleep. Probably just napping right? Just like he always did. Yes. Yes. Of course. He was just a meathead when you got right down to it. Usopp tried not to notice the angry red marks on the swordsman's face and neck where darts had struck or the blood that still inched down the man's face.

He couldn't see Sanji's face at all but the cook's long legs were still and his blond hair was streaked with red from where one or another of his guards had hit him repeatedly with a hammer. But he…he wasn't unconscious! He was just…just biding his time for when one of the guards got unlucky enough to wander to close to his legs and then Sanji would kick the crap out of them. The only reason he was holding back right now was because his current guard, Patient, was just a kid.

There was a soft noise and Sanji's legs stirred. Usopp's heart kicked up. Patience yelped and two mallets cracked down on Sanji's head so fast it almost looked simultaneous but Usopp heard the double cracks and winced. Sanji stilled again. Patient straightened, chest heaving, wiping the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand. .

"That was amazing!" Fingers crowed from beside him. "You're getting faster every time." He folded his arms and nodded. "Just like I taught you."

"You didn't teach me anything!" Patience snapped, pointing a hammer at him. "My moves were all inspired off of Cook's!" He twirled one hammer as if it were a pistol and nearly dropped it on his foot. Patient scooped the hammer back up, pink tingeing his cheeks and scowled as Fingers laughed at him.

Patient was one of the terrible three, as Poison had called them, but from where Usopp was sitting he didn't look so terrible. In fact he was one of the easiest of the Usopps to look at because he didn't look very much like Usopp at all. He younger for one thing, thirteen or so, with a small nose and blond hair. He looked like Yasopp actually—or what Usopp could tell from the old pictures his mother had given him. Maybe it was just terrible for him to look that way as he didn't seem to like it, or so Fingers had said and even now Patience was glaring at Usopp and lazily pointed a hammer at him.

"I'll crack your head open with my double fisted hammer strike if you don't stop staring." He looked like he really could do it, too. Usopp didn't want to think about what he'd already done to Sanji. Usopp looked away, down at the carpet, at the rough ridges of his knuckles. He should really _do _something about this. How could he just stand by and let it happen? He had to do something. S…soon.

A shadow fell over them and Usopp looked up and recoiled back to see Cook standing there with Lost lagging behind him. They were the last two Usopps and the most disturbing…in fact even more disturbing whenever Usopp looked at them. Cook was like looking into a cracked mirror. His face was lined with thin scars and he was even thinner than Usopp, looking more like the blades of the knives he wore belted around his waist. He was frowning now; the scars twisting and puckering around his face. Lost was even worse. He was unscarred as far as Usopp could tell but his face was blank, his eyes heavy lidded and dull. It was like any life that he might have had had been sucked out of him.

"Welcome back, Cook!" Patient called. Cook waved a thin hand at him as Fingers said:

"Did you see anyone?"

"Poison is on her way up but I didn't see Yellow or Blue with her. Who knows where Shadow is." Cook looked down at him, or rather rolled his eyes downward making him seem much more imposing and fingered one of the long knives at his hip. "What are you looking at, pirate?"

"N…nothing," Usopp said, looking away; then realized with a sickening lurch that he should have denied the pirate thing first. This was no time to mess up like that! The moment he lost his head the moment he would _really _lose his head!

"Poison-nee will know what to do," Fingers said. "And don't call him a pirate."

"Y…yeah!" Usopp said. After all he wasn't saying that he _wasn't_ a pirate, just that he shouldn't be _called _one so it wasn't that bad.

"You really think that he isn't?" Cook said. "The blond one knew our name." He gestured at Sanji. "How would he know that if this Usopp wasn't a pirate with them?"

"They kidnapped me!" Usopp said, his mouth running before his brain kicked in. "I was actually commanding a marine ship when they attacked, killing everyone onboard but me which they held for ransom which is why I'm untouched. I only just escaped with my life."

"You commanded a marine ship? Really?" Fingers said. "That is so cool!"

"I was captain," Usopp said, getting carried away by his own momentum. "I had over thirty ships in my fleet and together we scoured the sea for pirates. I will miss my loyal crew! They live on in my heart."

"You are so brave," Fingers said. "It reminds me of my ship."

"You have a ship, too?" Usopp asked. Fingers nodded.

"Full of brave pirate hunters!"

That was a lie. It had to be. Wasn't it?

"You're both so full of shit," said Cook. There was a soft whisper as he pulled a knife from his belt that glinted oddly in the lantern light. He knelt so that he was almost nose to nose with Usopp. Lost cast a shadow over Cook's face almost hiding his eyes but the smile was still there, sharp and cutting- like the knife was going to do in a minute.

"The truth is," said Cook in a low voice. "I know you're a pirate. I can _smell _it. I'll slit your throat like a roast pig."

"W…wait a second," Usopp choked out, leaning back. Fingers reached around him and suddenly razors slid up between Fingers' fingers, edging along Cook's nose and bringing a thin line of blood.

"He's not a pirate and if you try to kill him I'll cut your nose off."

The air seemed to grow so thick that Usopp struggled to breathe. Maybe it had something to do with the knife edge tickling at his throat. But Fingers was helping him. Fingers was probably saving him. Why did Fingers believe him? _He's nakama_, supplied a thought, soft and distant. Only he wasn't. Not really. Even though he did the things that nakama did for one another. That nakama should do for one another. Not just sit and sweat like a coward while they were hurt. D...damnit… He was a mugiwara pirate and—

"Geez, you two. What are you fighting about now?" Poison's voice filtered into the room. Lost shifted and moved away, casting light on Cook's face and making him seem almost normal. Poison came to stand over them, her hands on her hips.

"He's a pirate," Cook said sounding almost defensive.

"He is not," Fingers said. Poison frowned, looking thoughtful. _I'm not a pirate_, Usopp tried to push into her brain through sheer mental willpower. _I'm not a pirate. _

"That's not for you to decide," she said finally. "Cook, go do your job and make something and Fingers, go relieve Patient." For a moment it didn't seem like they would move. Usopp felt himself getting lightheaded and realized he was holding his breath. Finally Cook stood, sheathing his knife and stalked off, Lost following him. Usopp let out the breath finally and sucked in another one. It was the sweetest air he'd ever tasted. Fingers settled back, the razors disappearing and carefully rolled up the net he'd been working on before standing himself.

"Where's Captain?" Poison asked. Fingers paused.

"He's taking a bath in the hot springs cave, I think."

"Better go get him. Patient can watch a little while longer."

"Okay, neechan," Fingers said, ducking his head before moving to the darker recesses of the cave. Usopp tried to surreptitiously feel if there was any blood on his neck with the tips of his fingers. Poison still stood right beside him, hands on hips, looking thoughtful.

"You're not really a pirate, are you?" Poison said.

"O…of course not," Usopp said, though the more he said that the worse it felt. Maybe he could try telling the truth. Maybe he could get them to understand. Or maybe not. Was he really that much of a coward? He should fight anyway! He was the only one right now. Well it would be alright for a little while longer, wouldn't it? He just had to have time to…to plan. That was it.

"Neesan!" Patient yelped and Poison cursed under her breath, pulling a bamboo tube from her waist. That could only mean one thing. Usopp looked up and jumped when he saw Zoro awake, eyes heavily lidded but staring straight at him.

"Double Hammer!" Patient squeaked just as Poison blew into the tube. The mallets slammed into Zoro's head a second before the dart buried into his neck. He scowled, looking murderous and then his eyes slowly closed again.

"Stubborn bastard. I'm going to run out of needles soon," Poison said, sticking the tube back in her belt. Then she looked at him, eyebrows raised. "Got something to say, Usopp-kun?"

Usopp realized he'd risen halfway to his feet. He didn't even remember moving but it certainly looked like he'd been reacting which he hadn't been really because that would mean that he was really concerned and if he was really concerned than they'd definitely think he was a pirate and they were all dead. Think. _Think_.

"I just got a sudden urge to use the bathroom," he said, rubbing the back of his head. It was brilliant. Once he was out he could go back to the Going Merry, find Luffy and get some backup as he went and saved the day.

"Oh yeah? I'll come with you."

"Y…you can't come with me!" Usopp said. Even if he did have to go there was no way he could with a girl standing so close by. It was too embarrassing and Sanji would likely kick his head in if he ever found out.

"Don't be a ninny. It's not like I'm going to look. Anyway, this is for your protection. This island can be pretty dangerous at night."

This island was pretty dangerous _now _Usopp thought. He half considered backing out but then realized she must be lying. She must be. It was a trick to keep him here. He would face it. An…anyway if he could outrun her and get to the ship…nothing would hurt him. Still…even if she _was_ protecting him it did make Poison seemed kind of like a…

"Pervert." Usopp clamped his lips shut. Had he said that out loud? Or had someone else? He wasn't sure himself. Poison who had been leading the way out of the cave stopped. A shadow seemed to fall over her as she reached back and grabbed the handle of the thirty pound hammer.

A moment later Cook was lying twitching on the floor with three huge lumps on his head and Usopp was following Poison outside. A cool breeze brushed across his face, smelling faintly of sea and he could see a sliver of moon slashed across the sky. It l…looked peaceful enough. If he just ran like hell maybe…

"You can go over there," Poison said, pointing to a clump of bushes by the side of the steep road and turned her back. It was perfect. He could just run. He just had to make sure. Usopp took a cautious step forward. Somewhere in the forest, something hooted, a low deep sound that seemed like something huge. Sweat made cool trails down his face. It…it was probably not a carnivore. Those usually didn't hoot, right? Ok. Ok. Keep moving forward. The hoot started up again, this was answered with a thundering growl and high shrieks as trees swayed violently back and forth. What…what…what the hell was up with this island?

"Do you get it, Usopp-kun?" Poison said. "It's dangerous. Better hurry up."

Now he really sort of _did _have to go. He went over to the bushes but found that he couldn't go through with it and maybe she knew that too because she didn't say anything.

"Why do you hate pirates so much?" Usopp asked, kicking a small pebble and watched it bounced and skitter down the road before becoming lost in the darkness. Poison was silent for a long time. Somewhere in the forest more growls answered the first and something howled, long and mournful, raising the hair on the back of Usopp's neck.

"Pirates ruined us," she said when the sound had died down. "They destroyed our lives. It was the pirates who tried to cut open Fingers' throat and who sliced up Cook's face…who gave us all our scars. We don't even know what happened to Lost. We just found him shivering in the ruins of Syrup…but I bet you've never seen Syrup destroyed. In fact you're not even scarred, are you? What a strange Usopp you are."

Was that really true? Had pirates really done such horrible things? He knew they were capable of it. There were a lot of rough men on the seas but a lot of good ones, too. If this alternate dimension thing was really true, where was Luffy? Why hadn't he shown up anywhere? A whisper of something like spider web brushed across his neck and he shivered.

"That's terrible," he said, because it was. He felt like he should say something else. Like how not all pirates were bad and how some were really really good, like those guys in there. He wanted to tell her how great they were and all the awesome things they'd done together. How they'd all fought and fought to help Nami save her home from Arlong. But even as he recited it in his head, it seemed fantastic; like one of those romantic daring stories he'd told Kaya. Poison would just brush it off and _really _suspect him then. M…maybe he could convince her, though. If he tried…

"It is terrible," she said. "It _was_ terrible. That's why we show no mercy to pirates. Not even ones that look like us." Another whisper around his neck and his wrists and by the time he realized it was a trap he felt lines cut into the skin of his throat and sharp slicing pain as his wrists were pulled back.

"I'm n…not a pirate!" he gagged, frantic. He couldn't run. Couldn't even move. One sharp movement and he was sure he'd lose a body part. Poison came toward him, tilting his face up with the tips of her fingers which were rough and scarred with work.

"No, you're not." Not anymore seemed implicit in her voice. "Lost, let him go." There was an annoyed hissing sound and the lines slipped away. Usopp could breathe again. Poison put an arm around Usopp's shoulders and started to steer him toward the entrance. "You're lucky," she said. "Lost's thread can cut through steel almost as easily as it can cut through a neck."

Usopp didn't feel lucky. He felt like he wanted to throw up. His legs were shaking so hard he thought they would give out on him if it wasn't for the imminent threat of Poison going to kill him.

"Don't worry," she said. "Once the final pirate is captured we'll kill all of them. You'll get to help. After that you'll be part of our crew. You'll like it. We're closer than family."

"I don't think Kaya would like this," Usopp said, feeling like this was a last ditch effort. It was this or nothing. After all if she was an Usopp, she must like Kaya. Who wouldn't? Poison's fingers tightened around his shoulder and his heart leaped. Had he made a breakthrough?

"Kaya isn't here to care," Poison said, her voice rough. _Kaya is dead_. The words behind her voice seemed to say. Usopp shivered and tried not to think about it and hoped Luffy got here soon.

* * *

Thanks to my beta Liashi FNA Sora and you, reviewers. :D I love you all. ^_^ v


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